BAJAUR: The district administration on Tuesday completed the process of land acquisition for the planned judicial complex after a delay of three years as earlier people had refused to give their agricultural lands for the project.

“The hard work of officials and members of Qaumi Commission has paid off as the process of acquiring land for the long-awaited judicial complex has finally completed. The land has been handed over to the district judiciary,” said Dr Sadiq Ali, Khar assistant commissioner, while briefing reporters on the development.

He said a team comprising district administration officials, representatives of local judiciary, building department, and Qaumi Commission led by him visited the site in Kharkano area Salarzai tehsil and held a successful meeting with the landowners.

Dr Ali said the allocated land, measuring 150 kanals and 13.3 marlas, was handed over to the district judiciary, represented by the additional sessions judge and the senior civil judge. He said he and the senior civil judge, nominated by the Bajaur deputy commissioner and the district & sessions judge, signed the land acquisition agreement in the presence of Qaumi Commission members, who had fixed the land rate.

The official said the land acquisition for the judicial complex had been stalled since May 2022 after the landowners reportedly refused to give their agricultural land for the project.

Sources familiar with the matter told Dawn that residents of the Kharkano area had not only refused to give their land for the facility but had also staged two protest demonstrations against the move, on June 2 and December 25, 2022, when a team of the district administration had selected their land for the project and imposed Section 4 in the area for acquiring land for the judicial complex.

However, sources claimed the residents agreed to give their land for the project after the authorities increased the land prices as per the market rate on the recommendation of Qaumi Commission members.

POLICE POST ATTACKED: A police post was partially damaged when unidentified assailants attacked it in War Mamund tehsil, officials said on Tuesday. They said the incident in Badan area occurred on Monday night.

The officials said no loss of life was reported in the attack.

He said a police team visited the post to assess the damage and collect evidence for investigation.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2025