Mardan - Landowners staged a protest on Wednesday against the non-payment for lands acquired by the government in Mardan to establish Abdul Wali Khan University, Agricultural University, and Bacha Khan Medical College.
The protest rally, led by Usman Ghani, Naeem Khan, Zakir Khan, and others, drew a large crowd of landowners. Later, they held a news conference at the press club, criticizing the government for delaying payments.
Landowners from Khora Banda, Plateau, Mayar, and Darbu Kali demanded immediate compensation for lands acquired in 2009, as per a Supreme Court decision. They stated that 2,500 kanals of land were taken for the universities, but only 66 million rupees had been paid out of the promised 9 billion.
The protesters noted that despite rulings by the Peshawar High Court and Supreme Court in 2020 mandating payment, the orders remain unfulfilled. They also expressed frustration over not receiving jobs that were promised as part of the compensation package, calling it an injustice.
The landowners alleged that the 5,000 kanals of land bought 15 years ago affected 12,000 people and involved the demolition of ancestral graveyards, houses, and mosques. They warned that if payments were not made soon, they would stage a sit-in at Abdul Wali Khan University with their families, blocking access to the institution.