The illegally leased 275-acre land belongs to KP forest department. ? FILE Photo

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has illegally leased 275 acres of land in Swat, it emerged Wednesday, in a major scandal to have hit the provincial administration.

The illegally leased tract in Malam Jabba, a tourist attraction in Swat district, belonged to the provincial forest department.

It has been learnt that the provincial government was to lease a mere 17-acre patch, i.e. 5 acres for construction of a hotel and 12 acres for chairlift, for 15 years.

However, the provincial government instead leased 275 acres for a period of 33 years, violating the rules and regulations.

More surprising is the fact that the vast tract was leased despite objections by the KP Ehtesab Commission and CM's inspection team.