Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has approved a comprehensive plan to revitalise Peshawar, including the establishment of a Walled City Authority and a Horticulture Authority, as part of a broader effort to upgrade urban infrastructure, improve civic services and preserve the city’s heritage.
The approval was granted during a high-level meeting reviewing the Peshawar revitalisation plan. The chief minister directed officials to initiate preparatory work and ordered the formation of a special committee to ensure effective implementation of the proposed initiatives.
Emphasising the need for proper planning and clearly defined timelines, the chief minister said priority would be given to projects directly affecting citizens’ quality of life, such as solid waste management, sewerage, drainage, water supply and urban forestry. He added that Peshawar, as the face of the province, would receive priority funding for its uplift.
Officials briefed the meeting that 34 major arterial roads, covering around 165 kilometres, would be upgraded with improved surfacing, drainage, pedestrian facilities, lighting, landscaping and corridor-wide beautification. Measures to ease traffic congestion include the construction of vertical parking facilities, new underpasses and flyovers, and the underground shifting of power lines along key corridors.
The plan also includes the development of a high-tech children’s park in Hayatabad, upgradation of existing parks, establishment of a theme park along the Kabul River, construction of new slaughterhouses, vegetable markets and improved bus terminals.
To strengthen sanitation and environmental management, the government plans to procure electric road cleaners, establish a sewerage treatment plant and restore Shahi Khatha. Key heritage sites, including Gor Ghatri, Sethi House and Bibi Jan Shrine, will be restored, while a modern food street is planned at Chowk Yadgar.
Construction of missing road links, including routes connecting Hayatabad Industrial Estate to the Northern Bypass and Nasir Bagh Road to Regi Model Town, as well as a cloverleaf interchange at the Pir Zakori intersection, also forms part of the plan.
The chief minister directed officials to strictly enforce timelines to ensure visible progress, aiming to transform Peshawar into a modern city while preserving its cultural and historical character.
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