140 Families From Takht Bhai Demand Termination Of Eviction Notices By Auqaf

Representatives of 140 families from Qalu Shah, a village in Tehsil Takht Bhai of district Mardan on Thursday strongly protested what they said an alleged eviction notice by the Auqaf Department

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Apr, 2025) Representatives of 140 families from Qalu Shah, a village in Tehsil Takht Bhai of district Mardan on Thursday strongly protested what they said an alleged eviction notice by the Auqaf Department.

During a press conference here at the Peshawar Press Club, they urged the Chief Justice, the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Chief Secretary, and the Provincial Minister for Auqaf to intervene immediately.

The affected families stated that they have been settled on 3,300 kanals of the total 3,610 kanals of Auqaf land for several decades. They clarified that they had a formal lease agreements with the department from 1987 to 2028 and had paid land rent up until 2025.

Despite this, they are now being forcibly evicted, in direct violation of clear directives issued by the Supreme Court of Pakistan on June 16, 2014, and the Peshawar High Court on January 15, 2019.

The families emphasized that the court decisions explicitly instructed the Auqaf Department and other authorities not to harass or evict the contractual occupants. They also highlighted that they had completed proper registration of their land holdings with the Revenue Department, presenting official documents during the press conference.

They pointed out that in 2020, the Auqaf Department had approached the courts only against a few individuals who were not part of any lease agreements. The courts had allowed action against those individuals. However, the department has now started operations against all 140 families, cancelling their agreements, registering FIRs against them, and proceeding with forced evictions. The families described the actions as unlawful and in violation of standing court orders.

The victims said they respect the regulations of the Auqaf Department and are willing to sign new agreements. However, they condemned the current operations as illegal and unconstitutional.

The affected families appealed to Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court, the Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and other high-ranking officials to take urgent notice and ensure full compliance with the court's rulings. They also requested the Provincial Minister for Auqaf and Religious Affairs, Sahibzada Adnan Qadri, to promptly intervene in this matter.

The families warned of strong protests and hunger strike in front of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly if their grievances are not addressed.

APP/vak