KP to Introduce New Land Acquisition Law

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has decided to introduce a new land acquisition law to resolve long-standing acquisition issues and prevent future legal disputes.

The decision was announced by Provincial Minister for Law, Human Rights and Parliamentary Affairs Aftab Alam during a meeting of the cabinet-constituted Standing Committee on Land Acquisition at the Higher Education Department.

The committee reviewed legal, administrative, and financial matters related to land acquired for public welfare and development projects. Officials briefed the meeting on pending cases, decree amounts, ownership transfers, incomplete land records, and other hurdles delaying several development schemes.

Officials said most land had been acquired according to the valuation rates applicable at the time of acquisition. However, changes in official valuation rates over the years have created legal, financial, and administrative complications, particularly in land transfers and compensation payments.

The committee was informed that, in line with court judgments issued in 2018 and 2019, markup on compensation would be calculated from the dates of those decisions. The financial impact of the rulings is currently under review.

The meeting also discussed decretal amounts linked to the Mardan Ring Road project and reviewed proposals to amend relevant provisions of the Finance Bill to address liabilities arising from court decrees.

Aftab Alam expressed dissatisfaction over the slow progress on directions issued to a sub-committee formed in the previous meeting and directed all concerned departments to ensure timely implementation of the committee’s decisions.

He said legal and administrative hurdles in public interest projects would not be tolerated, adding that all pending matters must be resolved in accordance with law, justice, and transparency to protect government interests as well as the rights of affected landowners.