NAB recovers 223,000 kanals of forest land worth over Rs18 billion in KP

Mansehra: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has achieved a major breakthrough in safeguarding public assets by recovering approximately 223,000 kanals of state-owned forest land worth more than Rs18 billion in Mansehra and handing over its possession to the provincial Forest Department.

The recovery marks a significant step towards protecting government-owned land, strengthening public resource management and safeguarding valuable forest assets that had remained outside the department’s physical possession for more than five decades.

According to reports citing NAB sources, the land could not be formally taken over by the Forest Department for decades because of delays in identification, demarcation and the transfer of ownership records, leaving a substantial public asset without effective departmental control.

The government had acquired land in Mansehra, Haripur and Battagram between 1971 and 1980 and allocated it to the Forest Department under the categories of Resumed Lands and Protected Forests. However, the absence of proper identification and demarcation prevented the department from assuming physical possession of the land.

In a concerted effort to resolve the long-standing issue, NAB KP coordinated with the district administration and revenue authorities to complete the identification and demarcation of approximately 223,000 kanals spread across various revenue villages in Mansehra.

The bureau also facilitated the transfer of essential revenue documentation to the Forest Department, including land mutations and records of rights, helping establish the necessary administrative and legal records for the recovered property.

The successful exercise has enabled the provincial Forest Department to take possession of a vast tract of state-owned land valued at more than Rs18 billion, reinforcing efforts to protect public property and ensure that government assets are brought under the control of the relevant authorities.

Satellite imagery and field inspections conducted as part of the process confirmed substantial tree cover across the recovered land, underscoring its environmental significance and economic value.

The recovery is particularly important given the land’s potential contribution to forest conservation, environmental protection and the preservation of valuable natural resources.

By facilitating the identification, demarcation and transfer of the long-neglected land, NAB KP has helped resolve a decades-old administrative issue and secure a major public asset for the provincial government.

The development highlights the importance of interdepartmental coordination, effective land management and institutional oversight in protecting state-owned resources and ensuring their proper utilisation for the public good.