PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has approved Rs2.92 billion to compensate the people, whose land has been utilised for constructing infrastructure during the rebuilding of Miramshah Bazaar in North Waziristan tribal district, according to sources.

The payment of compensation amount for the land of Miramshah Bazaar would bring to an amicable end one of the most crucial post-military operation issues faced by the provincial government.

Official sources told Dawn that KP relief, rehabilitation and settlement department recently issued administrative approval for compensation of land utilisation in the North Waziristan tribal district under Accelerated Implementation Programme at a total cost of Rs2.92 billion during the current fiscal.

Payment of compensation to resolve crucial post-operation issue in North Waziristan

“Now the relevant deputy commissioner would disburse compensation amount to the affected people as per demarcation following the money is released by the finance department,” said an official.

He said that Chief Minister Mahmood Khan took special interest in resolving that longstanding issue and approved the compensation amount.

Source said that Miramshah Bazaar was badly damaged in the intense fighting with terrorists during operation Zarb-i-Azb, launched in June 2014.

They said that following the operation, Pakistan army decided to reconstruct the destroyed bazaar with a new design to rehabilitate the people of North Waziristan, rejuvenate their economy and provide support to them from the government.

Subsequently, the entire bazaar including damaged shops, markets and houses was razed to the ground and the debris was removed. The bazaar was reconstructed under a new master plan prepared by National Engineering Service Pakistan.

The master plan divided the bazaar into two phases. In the first phase, blocks comprising 42 plazas were constructed, having about 900 shops. The new bazaar was designed, keeping roads, greenbelts and park for beautification, which consumed commercial land, measuring 1,945 marlas, as per the report of Miramshah Bazaar Owners Committee.

The owners also took this issue to Peshawar High Court, demanding compensation. The court directed the government to compensate the owners after verification of losses.

Following the court judgment, the administration formed a 33-member committee of the owners to provide a platform to assess the damage they suffered.

The committee demanded compensation amounting to Rs4.5 million per marla.

Following this, the chief minister in meeting directed the deputy commissioner of North Waziristan to carry out proper demarcation and fix rate as per practice.

The district administration fixed rate of the land at Rs1.5 per marla and subsequently a case was moved to the provincial cabinet for approval.

The provincial cabinet in its meeting on June 14, 2019 approved the cost of land measuring 1,952.3 marlas that was utilised for development works at the rate of Rs1.5 million per marlas as well its dispensation to the owners. Accordingly allocation of Rs2.92 billion was made in Accelerated Impact Programme for this purpose.

Following the cabinet’s nod, the matter was referred to the planning and development department and the provincial development working party approved the scheme’s PC-1 in its meeting on September 17, 2019.

The official said that the compensation would benefit 342 owners of Miramshah Bazaar. He said that the owners would be also paid Rs300,000 per destroyed shop and the deputy commissioner was directed to go as per policy.

The official said that the remaining issues including compensation for lost goods of Miramshah and Mir Ali bazaars and compensation for petrol pumps were discussed by special cabinet committee headed by minister for law that submitted its report to the chief minister and the approval was likely to benefit over 8,000 families.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2019