KP govt now owns ancestral homes of Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor in Peshawar

Arshad Aziz Malik

June 02, 2021

Dilip Kumar (right) and Raj Kapoor are regarded by many as the greatest Bollywood actors of all times. Both were born and raised in houses located in Peshawar to this day

KP government gets possession of Bollywood legends Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor's ancestral homes in Peshawar.
In 2020, KP government had decided to convert both houses into museums.
Ownership of both houses has been transferred to the director of KP's archeology and museum department.

PESHAWAR: The ancestral homes in Peshawar of Bollywood legends Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor are now owned by the Khyber Paktunkhwa government.

Ownership of both houses has been transferred to the director of KP's archeology and museum department, the Peshawar deputy commissioner announced.

In 2020, the KP government had decided to convert both houses into museums.

According to two award letters issued from the office of the Peshawar deputy commissioner, the archeology department had decided to buy both houses to convert them into museums.

Legal proceedings have been completed by the local administration by enacting sections 4-6 and 17 of the Land Acquisition Act 1894. Final notices were also issued to the owners for submission of written objections, The News reported.

However, owners of ancestral houses had refused to sell their houses, submitting written objections to the deputy commissioner.

Peshawar Deputy Commissioner Khalid Mehmood announced the award and set the price of Kumar’s house at Rs8.56 million. Kumar’s house consists of four marlas, which is located in Mohalla Khudadad behind Qissa Khawani.

The more than 100-year-old ancestral home of late Indian Bollywood icon Raj Kapoor in Peshawar. Photo: AFP

Similarly, the price of Kapoor’s house has been fixed at Rs15 million, which consists of six marlas and is located in Dhaki Dalgaran. The owners of both houses can approach the court in case of any objection.

KP Archeology and Museums Director Abdul Samad said the department has got possession of both houses and the government had fulfilled its promise.

"In the past, only announcements were made but no practical steps were taken but the current government took possession of the houses after completing all legal procedures," he said, adding that the next step is to restore the two houses to their original condition and convert them into museums for which funds are available.

Barkat Ali, the owner of Raj Kapoor Haveli, submitted written objections saying that the property was purchased by Haji Khushal Rasul (late) during the open auction in 1968.

Later on, Haji Khushal Rasul had sold the property to the applicant and the petitioners were not ready to sell out the property to anybody else. He said that the house is situated in a thickly populated area and is not fit for the establishment of a museum and said the property is for more than Rs1 billion and payment of the huge amount to the applicant will be a burden on the government.

Similarly, the owners of Dilip Kumar house — Gul Rahman Mohmand, Kashif Naseem and Abdul Jalil Faqir — had submitted written replies to the DC Peshawar saying that the house is not antique as it has lost its value.

They said that if the government stressed upon purchasing the house in question then the applicant requests compensation of Rs7 crores per marla.