Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi has directed the National Highway Authority to explain as to why it failed to pay compensation to the land-acquisition affectees even after a delay of four years.
The President passed the order in the case of one Ali Ahmed, Ghulam Haider, Imam Baksh, Muhammad Saleh, Zahoor Ahmed and Khuda Baksh (the complainants) who alleged that NHA destroyed their houses and shops for the construction of N-85 and failed to pay even after their repeated requests for compensation. The order said the agency declined to meet its legal obligations, said a President House statement on Monday.
The President upheld Wafaqi Mohtasib decision wherein National Highway Authority was directed to conduct an inquiry against the officials responsible for the inordinate delay. He directed the National Highway Authority to file a compliance report within 30 days of the receipt of the findings of the inquiry report.
NHA initiated compensation case after four years
The President said that unfortunately, the NHA initiated the case for compensation after four years only when the affectees lodged a complaint against the NHA. The President said the act was tantamount to maladministration on the part of NHA.
President Alvi observed that National Highway Authority was liable to implement the orders of the Wafaqi Mohtasib, passed first on 8th May 2020. He rejected NHA’s representation as incompetent and non-maintainable and directed NHA to appear and explain its position in the implementation proceedings before the learned Wafaqi Mohtasib.
