Ownership battle: ANP chief’s application over headquarters dismissed

Court directs ANP chief to submit rejoinder at next hearing

PESHAWAR: A local court has dismissed Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan’s application which asked that the case on the ownership of Bacha Khan Markaz be declared “non-maintainable”.

The court of civil judge Tufail Ahmad dismissed Asfandyar’s application and directed him to submit his rejoinder before the next date of hearing.

Begum Naseem Wali Khan, chief of ANP-Wali, had approached the court to claim ownership of the party’s headquarters in Bacha Khan Markaz. However, in his application, Asfandyar has said the property belongs to the entire party rather than a single person. He added all expenses for the construction of the building were covered by the party.

He had requested the court to dismiss Begum Naseem’s earlier application where she asked for a decree of permanent injunction for Bacha Khan Markaz. However, the court decided to dismiss his application.

On November 14, Begum Naseem approached a civil court for a decree of permanent injunction for Bacha Khan Markaz, saying Asfandyar, her stepson, and Amir Haider Hoti, her nephew, should not be allowed to interfere with the property.

She claimed she owns the four kanals of land on which ANP headquarters Bacha Khan Markaz has been built on Pajjagi Road. She said the land for Bacha Khan Markaz was purchased by her in 1993.

The ANP-Wali chief added she paid Rs1.2 million to the previous owners, Muhammad Sharif and his brothers. The current value of the land, according to her, is around Rs50 million.

After taking possession of the property, she got a site plan approved for construction on the purchased property. She also constituted a committee to supervise construction.

Begum Naseem chaired the committee while Farid Toofan was secretary. Other members included the late Bashir Ahmad Bilour and the late Syed Bilal Shah.

However, the respondents took advantage of the deaths of Begum Naseem’s husband and son, as well as her own health problems, to deny her ownership of the property in March 2014, she said in her application.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2015.