President decides 25-year-old land compensation case

ISLAMABAD, August 28: President DrArifAlvi, while overruling WafaqiMohtasib’s decision in a 25-year-old case, has directed the National Highways Authority (NHA) to award compensation to the complainants in lieu of the land purchased by it in accordance with the Compensation Award announced by NHA in 1997 which remained uncontested and unimplemented since then.
He reprimanded NHA for causing unnecessary delay to implement the award announced 25 years ago, and directed NHA to pay the due amount to the citizens within 45-days of President’s orders
The President pointed out that it was not a matter of measurement and assessment of land or any other nitty-gritty but implementation and payment of the awarded compensation as per the orders of NHA in 1997.
He highlighted that this aspect was not factored in by the Mohtasib while passing the impugned orders, and held that since the award of 1997 had not been challenged by either party, therefore, it attained finality and NHA was bound to pay the assessed amount as per law.
The WafaqiMohtasib in its decision had declined to intervene and provide relief to the complainant, saying that the matter required site visit, measurement of land and detailed examination of both documentary and oral evidence, and its assessment in the light of Qanoon-e-Shahadat Order for which the proper forum was a court of competent jurisdiction and not the office of the WafaqiMohtasib.
As per details, NHA had acquired a land of 11-Kanal and 10-Marlas from three citizens for the construction of road (N-5). NHA had announced an award for 8-shops in 1994 which was accepted by the complainants under protest pending the award for remaining 35-shops. Afterwards, measurement of remaining shops was done, assessment was made by NHA, and an award was announced on 17 December 1997 but remained unimplemented.
Feeling aggrieved, the complainants approached the WafaqiMohtasib in 2021 to seek compensation for the remaining shops, but the Mohtasib disposed of the matter without providing any relief.-APP