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PESHAWAR, Nov 06 (APP):Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Land Use and Building Control Authority (LUBCA) has handed over sixteen master plans and six land-use plans to district administrations to ensure organized and sustainable urban development.
These plans have been completed in five months to curb illegal constructions and regulate land utilization across the province, said a release issued here Thursday.
According to LUBCA Director General Khizar Hayat Khan, the initiative aims to establish clear demarcations between residential, commercial and agricultural zones to protect farmland and restore planning discipline in construction activities.
“In the past, anyone could build wherever they pleased, leading to the rapid loss of agricultural land. Our goal is to restore order, safeguard fertile areas and ensure that development follows proper planning principles,” he said.
The DG added that multiple No Objection Certificates (NOCs) have been revoked and new constructions in sensitive areas have been banned. Following the implementation of two new laws in November 2024—one governing housing societies and the other building plans—LUBCA has begun deploying technical staff at the tehsil level. Under the new regulations, once a notice is issued, all ongoing construction must immediately stop and cannot resume until official approval is granted.
He said that NOCs for buildings and hotels constructed along riverbanks and water channels have already been cancelled, a decision prompted by the recent floods in Swat and Buner. The move aims to clear natural waterways and prevent future disasters.
He also highlighted that in major cities like Peshawar, the conversion of basement parking spaces in commercial plazas into shops has aggravated parking problems. LUBCA has now directed all plaza owners to restore parking areas as per their original building plans.
“Rather than shutting down entire housing schemes, we are encouraging their regularization to bring them within the legal framework while ensuring that public amenities such as graveyards, mosques, parks, and roads are provided before approval,” Khan explained.