Peshawar | ReNews Pakistan
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is considering launching an inter district BRT service on the motorway network to connect Peshawar with Mardan, Nowshera and Swat.
According to a provincial government spokesperson, the proposed service is aimed at providing a faster and more convenient public transport option for passengers travelling between Peshawar and other districts.
The Transport Department will conduct a feasibility study to assess the proposal. The study will examine possible routes, locations for BRT stations, the overall cost of the project and other operational requirements.
Transport Department officials believe operating the service through the motorway could be easier than using the GT Road.
Officials said the proposed BRT could benefit thousands of passengers who regularly travel between Peshawar and surrounding districts by providing another public transport option.
The project is currently under consideration and a final decision is expected after completion of the feasibility study.

Peshawar | ReNews Pakistan
The Auditor General of Pakistan has initiated a special audit into the cancellation of Tony Pak Mining Company’s lease and its subsequent alleged transfer to another company, amid questions over whether legal, regulatory and auction requirements were followed in the process.
The audit has been launched on the directions of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), according to information available on the matter.
A two member audit team has been constituted and has started examining the relevant records of the provincial Minerals and Mineral Development Department.
A key focus of the audit will be the circumstances surrounding the cancellation of Tony Pak Mining Company’s lease despite the company having reportedly invested around Rs500 million in the project.
The auditors will also examine how the lease was subsequently granted or transferred to another company and whether the decisions taken during the process were in accordance with applicable laws, rules and regulatory requirements.
The review is expected to determine whether a competitive auction or any other legally required procedure was followed before granting the lease to the second company.
It will also examine whether all necessary approvals, regulatory conditions and procedural requirements were fulfilled during the process.
The special audit will further assess the potential financial implications of the decisions, including whether the matter resulted in any loss to the national exchequer or reduction in government revenues.
Possible effects on employment opportunities and potential foreign exchange earnings linked to the mining project will also form part of the review.
The initiation of the audit places the lease cancellation and subsequent allocation process under formal scrutiny, but the audit itself does not establish wrongdoing. Its findings are expected to determine whether the decisions were taken in accordance with the law and whether any financial or procedural irregularities occurred.
The case is also significant from an investment perspective, as consistency in mining leases, regulatory decisions and protection of committed investment remain important factors in maintaining investor confidence in Pakistan’s mineral sector.
Further action is expected to depend on the findings of the Auditor General’s special audit.

Peshawar | ReNews Pakistan
Significant progress has been reported in the ongoing operation against the illegal occupation of valuable land belonging to the Auqaf Department in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where a total of 3,012 kanals and 18 marlas of property has been recovered in the districts of Mardan and Malakand with the supervision and assistance of the National Accountability Bureau Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to officials, the recovered land has an estimated value of Rs 1.429 billion. However, it has also emerged that nearly 36,000 kanals of Auqaf land across the province remain under illegal occupation at various locations.
Sources said the retrieved land has been handed over to the Auqaf Department, while the process of identifying, demarcating and verifying the record of the remaining encroached properties has been accelerated. Legal proceedings are also being initiated against those involved in the illegal occupation.
The district administrations, Auqaf Department, revenue authorities and law enforcement agencies are jointly planning further operations to bring properties dedicated to religious, charitable and public welfare purposes back under government control.
Officials said Auqaf properties include land associated with mosques, shrines, graveyards, religious institutions, charitable organisations and other public welfare facilities. They added that the removal of illegal encroachments from such properties remains a priority for the provincial authorities.
To prevent the reoccupation of recovered land, the government is also strengthening the verification of property records, physical surveys, digital mapping and scrutiny of legal documents. These measures are aimed at improving transparency and ensuring the long-term protection of Auqaf assets.
NAB and other relevant institutions have maintained that inter-agency coordination is being strengthened to expedite the recovery of state-owned land. Similar coordinated operations and joint task forces have also been established in Punjab and other provinces in recent months to retrieve public property from illegal occupants.
Authorities are expected to intensify such operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as part of a broader effort to safeguard public assets and improve land administration.
Official sources said the next phase would involve the gradual recovery of the remaining encroached Auqaf land, legal action against those responsible and the introduction of stronger mechanisms for transparent property management.
The measures are intended to protect public assets, prevent future encroachments and ensure that land reserved for religious and welfare purposes is used in accordance with its designated objectives.