PESHAWAR: Following a 22-year legal battle, the University of Peshawar has secured possession of a multi-billion-rupee property donated by its owner for charitable purposes, with the university designated as its caretaker.
The bungalow, located on the Gul Mohar Road in the upscale University Town area here, was dedicated to charitable and religious purposes under a registered waqf deed executed by its owner, the late Begum Kulsoom Amin Durrani, on Jan 2, 1974.
Court bailiffs Jehanzeb Khan and Shaghir Khan, accompanied by district courts police and SHO of Town police station Mubarik Zaib Khan, handed over possession of the bungalow to the University of Peshawar registrar on Friday.
UoP Vice-Chancellor Meritorious Professor Dr Johar Ali, Additional Registrar Dr Akhtar Amin, Director (Administration) Emel Khan, Deputy Registrar (Establishment) and in charge of the Legal Section Riaz Ali Khan and Deputy Director (Administration) Fazli Mabood were also present on the occasion.
Bungalow donated for charitable purposes handed over after 22-year legal battle
Spread over more than nine kanals, the property was dedicated under the waqf deed for charitable purposes, including the award of scholarships to deserving University of Peshawar students.
Under the terms of the deed, the university was designated as the mutawalli (administrator) of the waqf property following the death of the original waqif (donor).
The university instituted a civil suit on Sept 21, 2004, to establish its legal rights over the property and recover possession.
After prolonged litigation, the civil court, through its judgement and decree on June 22, 2013, declared the property waqf property and recognised the University of Peshawar as its mutawalli.
The court restrained the defendants, including relatives of the deceased owner, from alienating or encumbering the property and held that the university was entitled to its possession.
An appeal filed by the judgement debtors was subsequently dismissed by an additional district judge on Nov 15, 2023. However, despite the decree in the university’s favour, execution proceedings to secure actual possession remained pending.
After the Peshawar High Court vacated a status quo order on March 23, 2025, no stay order remained in force.
The court dismissed the opponents’ civil revision petitions earlier this week (Oct 15).
Lawyer Jehanzeb Khan Muhammadzai represented the university in court, along with Riaz Ali Khan, the head of the university’s Legal Section.
According to a university news release, the executing court, presided over by a civil judge, issued a detailed order on Oct 9, 2026, directing the senior superintendent of police (operations), Peshawar, to personally accompany the court bailiff, along with sufficient police personnel, to execute the warrant of possession and hand over vacant possession of the property to the university through its authorised officer.
The court also ordered appropriate legal action against anyone obstructing the lawful execution of the decree. It prescribed measures to ensure that the process is carried out lawfully, with due regard for the privacy and dignity of female occupants.
The court emphasised that a decree issued by a competent court, which had neither been set aside nor suspended, must be implemented in accordance with the law.
Income generated from the property is intended to support deserving students and fulfil the educational objectives specified in the waqf deed, according to the university administration.
It welcomed the judicial efforts to enforce lawful decrees and safeguard institutional property and said that utilising the property would enable the university to provide stipends to 350 deserving students across the province.
Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2026
