Peshawar’s Bahria Town, Citi Housing Lack Government Approval (NOC)

“The interim government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has cautioned the public about potential investment fraud in private housing projects operating within the province without obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the authorities.

Information Minister Feroze Jamal Shah Kakakhel revealed, “Our investigation has uncovered that both Citi Housing and Bahria Town in Peshawar lack the necessary NOC and legal documentation to operate, yet they continue to sell forms. People should invest their hard-earned money only in housing schemes that possess the required NOC.”

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He noted that authorities have already closed some offices of these housing schemes, with plans to close the remaining ones soon. The Chief Minister’s Inspection Team has been tasked with investigating housing societies operating without NOCs.

While welcoming investment, Kakakhel emphasized that it should not come at the expense of people’s hard-earned money. He urged individuals not to purchase membership forms from housing projects lacking official approval.

The government has also taken action against hoarders of essential goods, recovering Rs4 million in dues from electricity consumers. A crackdown on hoarding led to the seizure of 8,000 wheat bags and 90,000 liters of edible oil.

Regarding the province’s finances, Kakakhel explained that payments to government departments can only be made when funds are available. He noted that the province’s share in the National Finance Commission Award has reached 19%, but it still awaits the clearance of dues totaling Rs262 billion by the central government. He highlighted that since 2016, the center has paid Rs1.5 trillion in hydel profit to the province, and settling these dues could alleviate financial challenges.

The government has established a task force to combat smuggling of dollars, gold, sugar, and electricity theft under the supervision of the home secretary. Kakakhel also mentioned that elections would be held as per the schedule issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan and that delimitation of constituencies is ongoing in accordance with the recent population census. Additionally, he shared that the Federal Investigation Agency has undertaken numerous raids, resulting in arrests and legal actions against illegal currency exchange operators since December 2021.”