At the outset of the proceedings, the court was informed that the counsel for the petitioner, Ms Gulfam, was unable to appear before the court and sought an adjournment. Consequently, the bench deferred further hearing of the case.
During the hearing, Director General Provincial Housing Authority, Imran Wazir, along with Deputy Director Kashif Sikandari and their legal counsel, appeared before the court. They informed the bench that the New Peshawar Valley project spans over more than 100,000 kanals and is aimed at providing residential facilities to hundreds of thousands of people, describing it as one of the best housing schemes of its kind.
The court was told that the project’s PC-I had been prepared and approved by the government, while no-objection certificates (NOCs) had also been obtained from all relevant departments. The officials stated that over 100,000 kanals of land had already been acquired; however, due to the stay order issued in the present case, the project was facing continuous delays.
They requested the court to vacate the stay order to allow commencement of development work, arguing that rising inflation was causing an increase in the project’s overall cost. DG Imran Wazir told the court that he was personally supervising the project and that all necessary arrangements had been completed.
The bench observed that since the petitioner’s counsel had sought an adjournment, the case could not be heard at this stage. The court therefore adjourned the proceedings till January 21, directing that the matter would be taken up for hearing on the next date.
It is pertinent to note that the government has already approved funding and the PC-I for the establishment of the New Peshawar Valley, and the project is expected to be the first modern residential scheme of its kind in the region, offering all basic civic amenities. According to DG Imran Wazir, development work will begin immediately after the stay order is lifted.