PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday ordered quashing of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Anti-Corruption Establishment’s proceedings and its call-up notices to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MNA Mohammad Atif Khan in connection with an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the Malam Jabba land lease case.

A bench comprising Justice Mohammad Naeem Anwar and Justice Kamran Hayat Miankhel accepted a petition filed by Mr Atif and declared as illegal the impugned notices issued to him on Oct 31 and Nov 1, 2024.

The petitioner had requested the court to quash the notices and declare illegal all actions taken in consequence to the notices, including any inquiry or investigation.

The high court had last year suspended further proceedings on the impugned notices.

Senior counsel Shumail Ahmad Butt appeared for the petitioner and contended that the issuance of the impugned notices was only to ‘subject’ his client to undue harassment and public humiliation to tarnish his reputation.

He said the matter of Malam Jabba land lease had already been subjected to rigorous investigation by the National Accountability Bureau, which found no trace of any illegality or impropriety and thus the matter stood as past and closed transaction.

The lawyer said in 2014, the then provincial government under Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had entered into a contract and leased out land in Malam Jabba area of Swat to a tourism company after a thoroughly competitive process.

He said the allotment was granted for the establishment of a ski resort and a five-star hotel.

Mr Butt contended that at the time of executing the said contract, the petitioner was not the tourism minister and was serving as minister for energy and power department in the provincial cabinet.

He said the high court had decided the matter in favour of that company.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2025