HARIPUR: Local PML-N MNA Babar Nawaz Khan on Friday criticised the Khanpur administration over the “forced” acquisition of the land of local farmers for a family park project and promised to raise the matter in the National Assembly and its standing committee on human rights.

He also resented the use of force by police against the landowners, including women and children, during a protest.

Addressing a gathering of landowners from Dara village in Khanpur, the lawmaker expressed solidarity with them and said the residents had rendered their land in the Old Khanpur before they’re resettled with small landholding in the revenue limits of the New Khanpur around 50 years ago.

He said the landowners were left with small holdings of agricultural land, which they used for their sustenance, but the provincial government had snatched that land from them for a meagre amount.

Mr Khan said there were hundreds of kanals of non-agriculture and unutilised Wapda land near Khanpur Dam as well as a vast area of barren land of the provincial government that could have been utilised for building a family park and the parking space.

“Snatching the agricultural land of poor farmers for a family park was not needed in close vicinity of the picnic spot of Khanpur Dam. It’s unjustifiable,” he said.

The MNA also came down hard on the PTI’s government in the province and its local MPAs over “failure to protect the rights of poor farmers”.

He condemned the arrest of land owners who attempted to resist the possession of land with the help of police and heavy machinery.

Mr Khan said he would defend the rights of affected farmers and take up the matter in the National Assembly’s upcoming session and in the National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights.

On Thursday, the TMA officials had moved the machinery to village Dara situated near Khanpur reservoir and with the help of police took possession of 58 kanals of land.

The landowners, including women, children and men, tried to resist land “occupation” by TMA, leading to the arrest of over a dozen of them. Over 25 unidentified people were booked for interfering in TMA work.

Tehsil Municipal Officer Ayesha Tahir told reporters that 58 kanals of land had been acquired after completing all legal requirements and formalities for putting up a family park and a parking space.

She said that the vacation of stay order by the Peshawar High Court against the land acquisition led to the completion of the land award to the TMA Khanpur.

“Whatever action the TMA has taken for the possession of land was in line with legal requirements and in the presence of police. It’s not a forced land acquisition,” she claimed.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2026