PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has established a high-level committee to crack down on illegal housing societies in KP, resolve pending legal cases, protect land, and address inter-departmental coordination issues across the province.
According to an official notification issued by the Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the committee aims to overhaul the existing legal, administrative, regulatory, and technical frameworks governing private housing projects. The Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR) will head the committee, which comprises top officials from the law, planning, finance, housing, local government, agriculture, and home departments, among other relevant authorities.
Tasked with Legal Reforms and Public Protection
The provincial government has directed the committee to propose essential amendments to existing laws, rules, regulations, and policies to ensure transparency, accountability, and legal compliance within the housing sector. Furthermore, the body will formulate actionable recommendations to categorize illegal housing societies in KP, initiate strict actions against them, lay out conditional regularization guidelines, and safeguard the financial interests of citizens.
The official notification highlights that the committee will comprehensively review several critical areas, including:
- Land-use regulations and the conversion of fertile agricultural land for residential purposes.
- The digitization of land records and streamlining the approval process.
- Monitoring mechanisms, public access to information, and digital integration among relevant departments.
Curbing Fake Advertisements and Protecting Investors
To shield the public from fraudulent practices, the KP government has specifically tasked the committee with proposing robust legal and technical measures to halt fake advertisements, stop the buying and selling of illegal plots, and prevent the expansion of unauthorized housing projects.
The government has given the committee a strict three-month deadline to submit its comprehensive report and an implementation roadmap. The relevant forums will subsequently approve legislation, policy formulation, and administrative reforms based on these recommendations.
Government circles view this initiative as a major step toward organizing the provincial housing sector, protecting public investments, and launching an effective crackdown against illegal housing societies in KP.
