Mohammad Zahir, a shopkeeper from Pacha Bazaar in Buner , runs a cold drink business and is among the hundreds of traders whose shops were damaged by the August 15 floods.

Speaking to TNN, Zahir said he received his compensation cheque in August, but it has yet to be cashed.“I cleaned my shop and restarted the business myself. Even after two or three rounds of verification, the cheque still hasn't been cashed, it's beyond understanding,” he said.

According to official data, nearly 1,900 shops were damaged in Pir Baba during the recent floods. Syed Wahid, president of Pacha Bazaar, said the initial list included 676 damaged shops, but the number rose to around 1,900 when including those on Malikpur Road, Landa Bazaar, and nearby areas.

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He said the government issued cheques based on the initial list, but most were returned unpaid and remain uncashed.

Wahid added that traders are repairing their shops and restarting business on their own. He urged the government not to reduce the compensation amount but to increase it instead.“The losses are in millions, and one lakh rupees is far too little,” he said.

Documents show that the government initially announced compensation of Rs. 500,000 per affected shop but later reversed the decision. Now, only those whose shop structures were physically damaged will receive Rs. 500,000, while those who suffered loss of goods will get just Rs. 100,000.

The ADC Relief confirmed that several cheques had bounced, saying compensation data was being revised.“We are re-verifying affected shops and compiling updated data. Once the final list is ready, compensation will be distributed,” the official said.

Another affected shopkeeper, Jameelur Rehman, told TNN that both his shops were swept away in the flood, destroying all his merchandise.“It's been fifty days, but the cheques still haven't cleared. The government should step up, resolve this cheque issue, and increase the compensation,” he appealed.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner of Buner and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) stated that payments were temporarily halted due to technical issues, which have now been resolved.

Officials said some duplicate entries were found, where the same damage was listed under both the father and son or landlord and tenant names. In some cases, partially damaged structures or mud-filled buildings were mistakenly listed as fully destroyed.

Revenue staff, in coordination with local village council secretaries, have completed re-verification of all cases. Authorities confirmed that after verification and reconciliation, the final list of eligible recipients has been prepared, and compensation payments will resume from tomorrow.

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