Illegal occupation of government houses exposed in Peshawar

• Illegal occupation of government land and residential areas by government employees and other unauthorized persons was discovered in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

More than 60 official residences in Peshawar’s Workers’ Welfare Board colony were found to be occupied by unauthorized persons. Authorities sealed off the houses as part of an operation to combat illegal occupation.

According to available documents, more than 60 of the 300 houses in the colony were occupied by squatters. The inspection also revealed more than 170 incursions into the territory of the settlement.

Officials issued a two-day notice to correct the violations. Officials said officials from the Ministry of Higher Education, the Director General’s Office and other ministries were also occupying the official residence without permission.

The problem is not limited to residential areas, with reports of illegal occupation of government-owned shops. The Secretary of the Workers Welfare Board said that the board manages a total of 35 residential colonies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where operations are being carried out to remove encroachments.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Workers Welfare Board officials said efforts were underway to clear all residential colonies of encroachments and reclaim government houses from unauthorized occupations.