PESHAWAR:\u00a0The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, organized a comprehensive briefing session on land revenue matters, responsibilities of revenue authorities, and the legal and administrative framework governing state land leasing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The session was attended virtually via Zoom by Lt. Gen. (R) Nazir Ahmed, Honorable Chairman, National Accountability Bureau, while the physical gathering brought together key leadership including Syed Ihtesham Qadir Shah, Learned Prosecutor General Accountability, and Mr. Shahab Ali Shah, worthy Chief Secretary, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The event was also attended by Respectable Advisers to the Chairman NAB, Director Generals of NAB, Provincial Secretaries, Heads of Departments, and officers representing both NAB and the Provincial Administration.
\nThe session commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by welcome remarks by Mr. Naveed Haider Zahid, Director General NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who highlighted that NAB operates on a three-pronged strategy of Awareness, Prevention, and Enforcement. Aligning with this vision, the Chairman NAB established the Land Directorate in 2025 to combat the usurpation, illegal allotment, and fraudulent transfer of state assets. Hence successfully retrieving 2.98 Million Acres nationwide amounting to Rs. 5.976 trillion in year 2025, while substantial recovery of state land in millions of acres is being made in year 2026. Replicating the same in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, major discrepancies were observed in the form of Data gaps between DCs and departmental records due to lack of a central repository pertaining to State Land. Confusion exists regarding true departmental utilization rights and also unauthorized leases, mortgages, and occupations executed without the approval of Board of Revenue. To bridge this gap, NAB KP has developed a software SLMS (State Land Management System) that compiles all provincial state land records into a single-click, searchable database.
\nA detailed presentation on\u00a0\u201cLegal Framework of Land Revenue Matters in KP: Responsibilities and Obligations of Revenue and Concerned Departments\u201d\u00a0was delivered by Mr. Ahmed Ali Zafar, Advisor to Chairman NAB on Land Matters. He provided an overview of the historical background and prevailing legal framework governing land revenue matters in the province. The session covered key issues including the appointment and functions of revenue officers, jurisdiction of civil courts in revenue matters, and ambiguities concerning the exercise of discretion by provincial and local governments in matters relating to state land.
\nDG (Operations), NAB, Amjad Majeed Aulakh, presented the findings of NAB\u2019s study on\u00a0land leasing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, highlighting key issues identified in the existing system and presenting recommendations aimed at improving transparency, institutional oversight and the effective management of state land leasing.
\nAnother session on\u00a0\u201cSuperior Court Judgements on Responsibilities of Land Revenue Authorities Regarding State Land\u201d\u00a0was delivered by Syed Inhtesham Qadir Shah, Prosecutor General NAB. He highlighted that state land constitutes a public trust and emphasized the importance of safeguarding it through strict compliance with legal and judicial requirements. He discussed relevant judgments of the Apex Court and Sindh High Court, explaining that such judgments not only resolve disputed matters but also provide important guidance to revenue authorities regarding the lawful management and disposal of public land through transparent and fair-market mechanisms.
\nThe presentations were followed by an interactive question and answer session, during which participants discussed various legal, administrative and operational aspects of land revenue administration, state land management and leasing.
\nAddressing the participants, Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mr. Shahab Ali Shah appreciated the initiative and observed that such collaborative engagements could contribute towards improving the system for the retrieval and protection of state land. He noted that the lessons and recommendations emerging from the workshop could also assist in the vetting and formulation of appropriate legislation aimed at addressing existing legal and administrative gaps.
\nIn his concluding remarks, Chairman NAB expressed satisfaction over the collaboration between NAB and the civil administration of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, stating that coordinated institutional efforts could help unlock the economic and public value of state land resources. He observed that a significant quantum of state land in the province required effective measures for its identification, protection and recovery.
\nThe Chairman emphasized that NAB, in collaboration with the KP Administration, could contribute towards strengthening institutional systems and addressing the governance gaps that affect the effective and lawful management of public resources. He stressed that government functionaries must exercise their authority strictly within the framework of the law and ensure implementation of all relevant statutory and legal provisions.
\nHe further observed that while shortcomings may have occurred in the past, the focus should remain on corrective measures, institutional improvement and compliance with the law. He advised that a comprehensive roadmap and mechanism be developed to address the issues identified during the workshop and translate its recommendations into practical measures.
\nThe workshop concluded with a shared understanding that good governance and anti-corruption efforts are complementary pillars of effective statecraft, and that strengthened collaboration between NAB and the provincial authorities\/ administration can contribute to unlocking additional public resources for provincial development and the broader public interest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PESHAWAR:\u00a0The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, organized a comprehensive briefing session on land revenue matters, responsibilities of revenue authorities, and the legal and administrative framework governing state land leasing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The session was attended virtually via Zoom by Lt. Gen. (R) Nazir Ahmed, Honorable Chairman, National Accountability Bureau, while the physical gathering […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":546367,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-567635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-peshawar"],"yoast_head":"\n