CM directs for regulating construction related matters
PESHAWAR: In view of the increasing environmental fragility, unregulated construction and the critical need for climatic-responsive and culturally appropriate development in the mountain regions of the province, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur has directed the concerned authorities to constitute a Working Group to come up with guidelines to properly regulate construction related matters in the mountainous areas of the province.
The Chief Minister’s Secretariat has issued a formal letter to Additional Chief Secretary, Planning and Development (ACS- P&D) to constitute and lead a Working Group having membership of the concerned administrative secretaries, heads of the concerned entities and experts of the field.
The letter suggests to the proposed Working Group to study and recommend the adaptation and institutionalization of the “Mountain Architecture Guidelines”- a research work authored by one Dr. Zahra Hussain for implementation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The letter highlights that the above-mentioned pioneering work presents a contextually grounded, climatic-responsive, and culturally sensitive architectural approach tailored to Pakistan’s mountain regions, developed through extensive community engagement, academic research, and technical validatíon adding that the guidelines offer practical strategies on sustainable built form, passive solar design, cultural landscape preservation, material use, visitor management and integration with local economies and ecosystems; and is considered a master guiding framework for harmonizing environmental stewardship, tourism infrastructure, and vernacular wisdom.
The letter further suggests the Working Group to deliberate on how the proposed principles of the aforementioned research work can be customized, adapted, institutionalized, and legally adopted for the mountainous districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in accordance with provincial laws, planning frameworks, and operational realities.
As per the Terms of Reference outlined in the letter, the Working Group shall review and customize the Mountain Architecture Guidelines in accordance with the climatic, cultural, and architechtural reaities of the province, formulate a legal and regulatory integration plan including necessary ammendments to the relevant rules and regulations, identifying and propose institutional mechanisms for approval, monitoring and enforcement through local authorities, recommend phased roll-out strategies, and develop liason with national and international development partners for technical and financial support.
The Working Group has been directed to submit its comprehensive recommendations and proposed implementation plan within sixty days to the Chief Minister.