DLP Report
PESHAWAR
A meeting of the Provincial Assembly Standing Committee on Agriculture was held under the chairmanship of MPA Abdul Salam Afridi, where members expressed serious concern over the construction of illegal housing societies on agricultural lands.
The meeting, attended by MPAs Dawood Shah, Zarshad Khan, Sher Ali Afridi, Khalid Khan, Fazal Elahi, and Muhammad Naeem, emphasized that the unchecked conversion of farmland into residential colonies is posing a grave threat to agricultural production and could lead to severe food shortages in the future.
According to a statement, the committee stressed that Pakistan, being an agricultural country, must preserve its farmland exclusively for cultivation purposes. They warned that the trend of unregulated housing schemes not only jeopardizes the agricultural sector but also undermines public interest and damages the economy.
During the session, the committee was informed that master plans for six districts of the province have been prepared and will be presented in the next committee meeting. These master plans are expected to play a critical role in curbing unauthorized construction and guiding sustainable development.
The committee called for immediate action, suggesting that illegal housing schemes be either shut down or brought under a formal regularization process to protect public investment.
Chairman Abdul Salam Afridi urged relevant institutions to take decisive steps to safeguard agricultural lands and called for effective legislation to regulate urban expansion and prevent further loss of arable land.
