PESHAWAR, March 25: The University of Peshawar (UoP) and the provincial wildlife department have locked horns over the acquisition of the Azakhel Park, Nowshera, which was allotted by the district government to the varsity for establishing a botanical garden.

The Nowshera district government had allotted 83 acres of land of Azakhel Park to the UoP for setting up a botanical garden under a 99-year lease contract in 2005, which was later terminated after a demand from the wildlife department to set up a zoo there. The wildlife department was earlier asked to identify 50 acres of land in the Peshawar district for setting up a zoo, an official of the UoP told Dawn here on Monday.

The official said that some circles in the caretaker government were now alleging that ‘we got this land on political grounds and favouritism’.

On the other hand, chief conservator of the wildlife department, Mumtaz Malik, said that his department had been looking for a suitable piece of land to set up a zoo for public recreation for the last 4-5 years and after many deliberations Azakhel Park was selected as the most suitable site. The government had approved Rs25 million for the purpose, Mr Malik added.

“We are not opposing the botanical garden but public wants a zoo. A botanical garden can be established anywhere but a zoo should be at a secure and accessible place for which Azakhel Park is the most suitable place”, said the wildlife department official. Sources said that ‘disinformation’ spread by those against the setting up of the botanical garden resulted in termination of the lease contract by the district nazim Nowshera. “The letter of termination of contract from the district government Nowshera also mentioned that the former NWFP governor mentioned the setting up of a zoo there. But there was no notification of the decision”, said officials of the UoP.

According to the letter, the Nowshera district government says that a lease agreement can be assigned for 30 years for commercial and 15 years for agricultural purposes as per the revenue policy. “The lease in hand is of 99 years which is also a legal lacuna”, said the letter.

But the officials of the University of Peshawar said that they would take the issue to the court if the Nowshera district government terminated the contract unilaterally and deprived them of the land.

However, official sources in the district government said that they had issued the letter to the UoP to explain their position as they were not satisfied with ‘few things’ and that the contract could not be terminated.

It is to be recalled that the botanical garden project has been funded by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) at a cost of Rs37,861 million and would complete on June 30, 2008. Construction of boundary wall, land leveling, two green houses and screen houses have already been completed, according to the UoP officials.