Illegal housing societies to face action

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to launch a crackdown on illegal housing societies.

According to a press release, societies without valid no-objection certificates (NOCs) will be sealed, and their owners will face legal action and possible imprisonment. The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by the Director General of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Land Use Building Control Authority, Khizar Hayat Khan.

The meeting was attended by the chief planning and controlling officers of the Peshawar Zone, who received instructions on building bylaws, housing societies, and related matters.The DG stated that there have been numerous complaints against certain housing societies for lacking NOCs or allegedly possessing fake NOCs.

He said in light of this, the NOCs of housing societies across the province will be thoroughly investigated. Khizar Hayat Khan said several housing societies, after obtaining NOCs, had expanded the area without official approval.There will also be an inquiry into how many housing societies have been established by falsely declaring agricultural land as commercial.

Officials such as patwaris (land record officers) and girdawars (field assistants) who facilitated the fraudulent establishment of housing societies will be reported to the deputy commissioner and Local Government authorities, and action will be recommended through a letter to the Local Government secretary. The DG said an investigation would be conducted into unauthorized land expansions and misuse of agricultural land for commercial purposes. Officials involved in such fraud will be reported for disciplinary action.

He pointed out that advertising or selling plots without a valid NOC had been declared illegal under the 2021 regulations, and violators would be referred to the Anti-Corruption Department.