The University Town of Peshawar was a very posh area of Peshawar, but since the past few years a powerful minister has taken control of the University Town Committee and all hell has broke lose. The town is mushrooming into a giant commercial zone, with schools, colleges, universities, offices, shops, guest houses, NGOs, hospitals and even government departments’ offices setting up among each road and area.
The land for town’s parks and clubs is being taken over by anyone with a stick. First the University Town Club has been taken over by a minister’s stooge, defying PHC stay orders, now a local mosque’s mullah has decided to take over the local cemetery. The first year a mosque was constructed on the cemetery land, the next year the mosque was enlarged. Two years later, three double story homes have been constructed, encroaching on cemetery land.
The encroachment was reported in the newspaper a few months back but the mullah was able to grease the right palms to avoid any eviction. The problem now is that if the University Town Committee and local police are not willing to take any action, who do the residents of this town approach to stop this mullah from taking over the entire cemetery?
DR SULIAMAN DURRANI
Peshawar
