Peshawar - In a bid to mitigate the backlog of cases related to land disputes and ensure their timely resolution, the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, has decided, in principle, to appoint additional judges to the district judiciary. He also directed the Law Department to immediately complete the necessary groundwork in consultation with the judiciary for this purpose.
He made this decision while chairing a progress review meeting of the Board of Revenue held here on Tuesday. Provincial Minister for Revenue Nazir Abbasi, Senior Member of the Board of Revenue (SMBR) Imtiaz Hussain Shah, and other senior officers of the Board of Revenue attended the meeting.
It was decided at the meeting that additional judges would be appointed in those districts where the backlog of estate-related cases is high. The Chief Minister also decided to introduce GIS technology for the identification of land ownership, with an initial pilot project in selected districts.
The Chief Minister further directed the speedy completion of the ongoing computerization of land records, emphasizing that the computerization of land records and GIS mapping are essential solutions to land disputes. “It is indispensable to complete both tasks as soon as possible,” he remarked.
Ali Amin Gandapur also directed that Service Delivery Centers be made operational immediately in all districts where land record computerization has been completed, adding that his government will provide all necessary resources for this purpose on a priority basis. He stated that the provincial government is working on an agenda to provide maximum facilities to citizens, and it must be ensured that citizens face no difficulties in accessing services.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister was briefed on the reform initiatives taken by the Board of Revenue over the last six months and was updated on the progress made in implementing the decisions and directives issued by the Cabinet meetings and the Chief Minister.