PESHAWAR: The illegal commercial activities on residential plots in Peshawar’s University Town – the most expensive residential town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – could not be stopped despite government commitments and directions of the high court.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister house Inspection Team has recommended strict action against the responsible government officials for allowing commercial buildings in the university town during the last 20 years. The team urged for the formulation of rules and regulations and immediate ban on commercialization of residential schemes.
According to a report compiled by the inspection team, many residential plots have been illegally commercialised in the town since 2002 and high-rise plazas have now been erected in the town. The inspection team said that it is now seems impossible to demolished all those commercial structure in the head of the town.
The report termed the process of illegal conversion of plots from residential to commercial as “extremely dangerous” practice and said that the move has paved the way for such illegal practices across the province. “There were many officers and employees have retired during these 20 years and but no disciplinary action against them could be taken,” the report said.
In the light of the Peshawar High Court judgment in 2003, there should be strict action against the employees involved in providing permission for commercial activities in residential housing schemes. The inspection team has recommended to the KP government to formulate laws, regulations and policies under which action can also be taken against retired employees.
According to sources in the Local Government (LG) Department, it was decided a few months ago during a meeting chaired by the LG Secretary that all the ongoing plots transfer should be completed immediately. However, according to local body sources, the approval and transfer of building plan by the building control authority is still going on which is “illegal”.
The report of the provincial inspection team also provided a list of 14 commercial centers on residential plots. The report warns that commercial activities on residential plots on University Road have set dangerous precedence in the province that has no place in the law on urban development authorities.