PROVINCE REPORT
PESHAWAR: Claiming to have been subjected to nearly 15 years of continuous victimization despite securing favorable court rulings, prominent industrialist Saleem Akhtar Durrani, chief executive of Tatara Industries in the Hayatabad Industrial Estate, has appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Provincial Minister for Industries, and the Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to intervene and ensure justice on priority.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, Saleem Akhtar said he established Tatara Industries in 2003 after obtaining an industrial plot in the Hayatabad Industrial Estate. However, he alleged that since 2011 he has repeatedly faced what he described as arbitrary actions by the authorities, including cancellation of his industrial plot allotment and multiple court cases initiated by the then Sarhad Development Authority (SDA).
According to him, he successfully defended himself in every case filed against him, with the courts’ rulings in his favor. Despite these decisions, he alleged that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company (KPEZDMC) again cancelled his plot allotment and initiated fresh legal proceedings.
He further alleged that although the dispute remains pending before the court, KPEZDMC proceeded with the auction of his industrial plot through what he termed an illegal process and later had the factory sealed with the assistance of the local assistant commissioner.
He described the actions as a serious blow to industrial investment and business confidence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He maintained that instead of facilitating investors and industrialists, the authorities were discouraging entrepreneurship and threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of workers associated with his factory.
Appealing to the country’s top leadership as mentioned above, Mr Durrani urged to order an impartial inquiry into the matter, reverse what he called unlawful actions, and ensure that justice is served.
“I have fought every legal battle and succeeded in the courts, yet I continue to face repeated action,” he said, adding that he only wanted the opportunity to run his factory, contribute to the province’s economy, and provide employment to hundreds of workers.
