Judicial matters: Suspension of botanical garden lease on hold

Nowshera district govt cancelled agreement while it was not authorised to do so

PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court issued a stay order on suspending the lease of the botanical garden on GT Road and sought a reply from the district government of Nowshera.

The bench, comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Irshad Qaiser, was hearing a writ petition filed by University of Peshawar’s syndicate through its lawyer Waseemuddin Khattak.

The court was informed the 689 kanals of land was leased out to the university for 99 years for the purpose of setting up a botanical garden on GT Road in Nowshera. Khattak stated the garden was set up on 77 kanals where more than 200 MPhil and PhD students were carrying out research.



The UoP lawyer told the court the district government cancelled the lease of 567 kanals and a notification was issued in December 2015. He said a reply was filed in response to the notification, stating the lease was for 99 years.

He added the district government didn’t accept the university’s point of view and cancelled the lease which it was not authorised to do. Khattak informed the bench international institutions were also interested in playing a role in the botanical garden’s development and the cancellation would affect hundreds of students.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21^st,  2016.