Three-day moot on architecture in Peshawar from Oct 8

PESHAWAR: Chairman of Institute of Architects Peshawar chapter Mansoor Ahmad Khan said on Monday the province did not have chief architect, asking the government to create the post.

Speaking at a news conference, he said there was no service structure for architects working in the government departments and asked the government to immediately announce it. He also demanded implementation of Antiquity Act to preserve the heritage of the province.

Mansoor Ahmad said a three-day international conference on architecture would begin 8 October. He said three architects from Turkey and one from Nepal would speak at the conference. He said Governor Shah Farman would inaugurate the event at Peshawar Services Club. He added design advisory committee should be constituted to make a policy on architectures.

Terming the Bus Rapid Transit useful for the public, he said it would cast bad effect on environment. He urged the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government to involve local community in landscape and tree plantation on the BRT route. About the importance of KP's history, he said the province was home to a great civilisation and had 5000 years history. He said Peshawar was the oldest living city in the world.

Flanked by architects Zulfiqar Ali, Tahir Khattak, Imran Khalil and Mir Wali Shah, he said the World Architecture Day was being observed on 1th October every year since 1986 by International Union of Architects (IUA).