KP steps up anti-encroachment drive on state land and green belts

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has intensified its anti-encroachment drive, removing illegal structures from state-owned land and green belts. The government says the purpose is to restore urban infrastructure and improve the flow of traffic.

KP Information Adviser Samar Haroon Bilour said the operation was being carried out without political pressure, personal bias or political victimisation. Urdu-language reports quoted him as saying the action is being taken without discrimination.

Bilour said traffic congestion has become a serious problem in Peshawar, leaving citizens stranded on roads for hours. He said the jams stop patients from reaching hospitals on time and make it hard for students to reach examination centres punctually.

According to government sources cited by Express News, a large night operation on Circular Road in Peshawar used heavy machinery to demolish dozens of illegal constructions. The report said the operation is continuing at night under the provincial government's programme.

Express News also described the operation as following governor's rule in the province, and said the new provincial government is taking sweeping steps across all sectors. The district administration of Peshawar said the removal of encroachments and the restoration of public passages is being widely praised by the public.

Authorities said that once encroachments are removed, roads, markets and intersections will be reconstructed. Various modes of public transport will then be introduced to improve travel facilities for citizens.

The government also plans to separate sewerage lines from clean drinking water lines in Peshawar. It says this is meant to address drainage and drinking water problems permanently.

The government says the wider aim of the operation is to clear Peshawar of encroachments, improve traffic flow, ensure basic facilities and provide a better environment for residents.