Peshawar
An important meeting was held under the chairmanship of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Local Government, Arshad Ayub Khan, regarding the transfer of ownership of the Rehydration and Maternity Center established on the rooftop of Kohati Plaza, Peshawar, from the Local Government Department to the Health Department.
The meeting was attended by Provincial Minister for Agriculture Muhammad Sajjad Barakwal, Minister for Higher Education Meena Khan Afridi, Minister for Law Aftab Alam, Minister for Irrigation Aqib Ullah Khan, and Chief Minister’s Advisor on Health Ehtesham Ali. All ministers present shared detailed views on the matter.
It is noteworthy that an agreement between the City District Administration and the District Health Officer, Peshawar, was initially executed for the period from 30 February 2012 to 29 August 2022.
A second agreement was later signed for the period from 21 November 2022 to 20 November 2037, with the condition that the Health Department would clear the previous dues. However, due to the center’s inactivity and non-payment of annual rent, the agreement was canceled twice.
Furthermore, this center has already been leased through auction to a private party to enhance the revenue and improve the financial standing of the Local Government Department.
The legal agreement for this lease remains in effect. On this basis, the Local Government Department has maintained that the Health Department’s proposal for ownership transfer contradicts Section 40(2) of the Local Government Act, 2013, which prohibits the sale or permanent transfer of municipal immovable property.
Minister for Local Government Arshad Ayub Khan stated that providing public health services is extremely important, but any decision in this matter must remain within the legal framework to avoid future legal complications.
At the conclusion of the meeting, he proposed the formation of a sub-committee to thoroughly review all legal and administrative aspects of the issue. This committee will soon present its recommendations to the Cabinet to enable an effective decision in the public interest.
