Pakistan, July 7 -- The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ruled that while the state has the authority to acquire land for public interest, it must pay compensation based on the land's actual market value. In its decision on the land acquisition compensation case from Swabi, the court dismissed all objections raised by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and upheld the earlier judgment of the Peshawar High Court.

The court stated that compensation for acquired land cannot be determined solely on official government rates. Instead, authorities must consider the property's real market value to ensure that landowners receive fair and reasonable compensation for their property.

In its detailed judgment, the Supreme Court emphasized that the princ...