KP governor orders faster Peshawar road and underpass work

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Monday directed the relevant departments to speed up development work in Peshawar and complete all ongoing projects within their deadlines. He was chairing a meeting in Peshawar to review the city's Master Development Plan.

The meeting was attended by senior officials, including the chief secretary and the governor's advisers on finance and local government. The governor was briefed on the plan's 100-day and 180-day targets and on the future roadmap.

Officials said the key 100-day targets include completing Phase-I and Phase-II of the Ring Road missing link, building underpasses, and installing electric poles, streetlights and cable infrastructure. Three underpasses have been completed, while those at Pishtakhara and Jamil Chowk are nearing completion. Work on poles, lighting and cabling along Ring Road and GT Road is under way at a cost of Rs500 million.

The governor was also briefed on plans to repair, upgrade or build 35 major roads in the city. Work is under way on Level-II of the Pir Zakori Flyover and on expanding Nasir Bagh Road. Consultants have been hired for underpasses at University Road, Ram Das Chungi and Phase-I of Lahori Chowk.

Traffic problems and the need for parking plazas were also reviewed. Officials said difficulties on Dalazak Road, Charsadda Road and Circular Road were linked to the construction of central medians. They said no Qingqi or other rickshaws had been registered since 2016 because the relevant legislation is absent.

According to Daily Times, the governor ordered priority recarpeting of University Road and asked for canal roads to be beautified with modern lighting and landscaping, on the pattern of Lahore. He also directed work to begin on a citywide plan to move electricity cables underground, saying it would improve the city's appearance and help curb electricity theft.

The governor said legislation for registering Qingqi and other rickshaws was essential and urged immediate legal steps. He also called for strict enforcement of traffic laws, action against violators and a public awareness campaign on road safety.

The meeting was told that the New Peshawar Bus Terminal, spread over 323 kanals, would soon become operational under a public-private partnership model. It also reviewed proposals to clear debris within two days after anti-encroachment operations and turn reclaimed land into landscaped public spaces.