May 10, 2005	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 1, 1426

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PESHAWAR, May 9: The NWFP government has taken over the house abandoned by the widow of Palestinian Jihadi leader Abdullah Azzam, it was learnt on Monday. Seven months ago the provincial government shifted a women crisis centre and rehabilitation centre for beggars to the house in Phase-1, E-1 of the Hayatabad township though the house had been sold by the widow to a retired official of the Civil Aviation Authority, sources said.

Abdullah Azzam’s widow, Sumera, who also has Pakistani citizenship, lived in the house with her son. She moved to Islamabad after 9/11 attacks, fearing that owing to her husband’s connection with Osama bin Laden she might be arrested. Azzam was the ideologue of Osama bin Laden, the sources said.

When the situation in Afghanistan calmed down, she sold out her house to Adam Khan, a retired official of the CAA.

“I purchased the house from Sumera and paid her the amount in instalments,” Mr Khan told this correspondent.

But during the process of payment the government occupied the two-Kanal house, he said and added that lately it had established there a women crisis centre and a rehabilitation centre for beggars.

When contacted, an official of the social welfare department confirmed the taking over of the house: “Yes, we have ‘saved’ the house from the qabza group as the woman had left the house and nobody was there to take care of it.”

Sources said that there was a tussle between Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani and Religious Affairs Minister Maulana Amanullah Haqqani over the house. Mr Haqqani wanted to open a madressah for female in the house, but the chief minister in October 2004 issued orders to the social welfare department to shift the women crisis centre and rehabilitation centre for beggars from phase-2 in the same locality.

Mr Khan said the government knew that Ms Sumera had sold the house to him, yet they occupied it.

He said the City Development and Municipal Department (CDMD) had finally transferred the property, but the social welfare department had been using delaying tactics to vacate the house.

“We have sent the case to the provincial government after confirmation that Adam Khan is now the owner of the house,” said social welfare department director Fakhrul Islam.

“After the government approval, we will sign an agreement with Adam Khan and will pay him monthly rent of the house,” the official said.