Peshawar, one of the oldest city of the region, was moved to its current location by the Mughals from its previous location, Charsadda, many years ago to help the city expand and grow. But after so many years once again Peshawar is stuck due to bad planning.
The city is suffering from a severe shortage of commercial land. Schools, offices, shops, restaurants, hospitals, tuition centres, hostels, guesthouses and countless other commercial businesses have opened up in residential areas across Peshawar.
These commercial entities cause revenue loss to the government in the form of missing taxes and damage to infrastructure. While at the same time these business create security problems and headaches for residents living near the business.
For example, a tuition and teaching centre has opened their business in front of my home in the residential area of University Town. The business is using electricity, gas and water as residential connection. Their heavy usage had created problems in the electricity supply (low voltage) while it also destroyed our street.
Similarly the students and parents that are picked and dropped from the business create problems for local residents by blocking the road, or creating too much noise and even destroying our private property.
Even the people working or studying in these commercial offices face problems with limited facilities, difficulty in travelling to the location and complaints from local residents. The business owners face constant harassment from police and local body representatives.
Therefore the PTI is kindly requested to created special commercial areas through re-zoning or new development that can cater to all the requirements of road connection, car park, security, commercial utility supply etc for the commercial businesses. This will help free up the residential areas and also reduce security risk. It will also greatly improve provincial government revenue.
ENGR SHAHRYAR KHAN BASEER
Peshawar
