Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Policy

URBAN
POLICY
KHYBER
PAKHTUNKHWA
2030
Planning & Development Department,
Civil Secretariate Peshawar- 25000,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
+92 91-9213095
www.pndkp.gov.pk
URBAN
POLICY
KHYBER
PAKHTUNKHWA
2030
Planning & Development
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

URBAN
POLICY
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
UPPU
Urban Policy & Planning Unit
Planning & Development Department
Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Chief Minister
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
MAHMOODKHAN
Under the Chairmanship of Imran Khan, we have undertaken the mission that is set
out in the PTI manifesto. Our government is engaged in several development
projects and legisla ve acts that aim to improve the quality of life of the people of
the province. Benchmark projects like Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), an improved
healthcare system through the Sehat Insaf Card, and more, are increasing the
welfareoftheci zensoftheprovinceofKhyberPakhtunkhwa.
In the same spirit, we are proud to declare that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the first
province in Pakistan to have developed an Urban Policy. This Policy has been
developed through consulta on with the general public and aims to address their
needs. It stresses the following areas: municipal services and liveability, economic
development and the development of real estate, affordable housing, and the
deliveryofothersocialservicestothepeopleoftheprovince.
The determined efforts of all relevant government en es have made much easier
the complicated task of developing this Urban Policy. I would like to take this
opportunity to congratulate the Planning and Development Department and staff of
the Sub-Na onal Governance programme, who have provided immense support to
the government in the development of the Policy. We must ensure that these efforts
arenotinvainandthatthePolicyisimplementedeffec vely. 03
Chief Secretary
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
DR.SHAHZADKHANBANGASH
The Urban Policy provides an overarching coordina on framework for dealing with
the most pressing issues related to rapid urbanisa on, including slums, solid waste,
and various forms of pollu on. Our ci es are growing, and so are their infrastructure
needs. For example, to produce higher levels of sustainable economic growth we
require greater amounts of energy. Likewise, social development needs are also
increasing.
The formula on of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Policy is a milestone
achievement for the en re country, being the first such policy in any province in
Pakistan. The Policy provides a template for all federa ng units regarding how to
bestorganiseourci esinlinewithglobalstandards.
The Urban Policy is in line with the government's policy of promo ng low-cost
housing, efficient transport and logis cs chains, and climate-smart ci es. We have
ensured that the Policy includes elements which strengthen the pillars of urban
governance, with special considera on given to moving first- er ci es towards
greater ci zen par cipa on and inclusion. Although it will face challenges, effec ve
implementa on of this Policy will allow the government to sustain the momentum
set by outputs that have already been ini ated and will contribute towards the
ins tu onalisa onofgoodurbanprac ces.
We are pleased to announce that the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Urban
PolicyandPlanningUnitandSub-Na onalGovernanceprogrammehaveformulated
a policy which has been reviewed by interna onal experts and which provides
comprehensive guidance in every sector of city planning, including in rela on to
makingourmunicipalmanagementmorefinanciallysustainable.
The Land Use and Building Control Authority will help the government to monitor
the targets of the Urban Policy, which is cri cal to ensure mely implementa on of
thePolicy'simplementa onframework.

Additional Chief Secretary
Planning and Development Department
SHAHAABALISHAH
Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the support provided by the UK Foreign,
Commonwealth and Development Office and their team at the Sub-Na onal
Governance programme in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, for providing technical support
andadviceinregardtotheformula onofthisPolicy.
We are happy that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has formulated its own Urban Policy, which
will be an example for other provinces. This Policy will enable us to create a
favourable environment for the business community in the province, create jobs for
the marginalised, improve mobility across the province, provide clear guidelines for
housing developments and industrial zones, and, through technology, create strong
linkages between government and ci zens that will ensure a be er governance
system and social accountability. The provision for city-specific management plans
provided in the Urban Policy will provide the flexibility for district and tehsil-level
administra ons to think and act crea vely, and at the same me plan for their
jurisdic onsinthebestpossiblemanner.
In the current era, the most effec ve and successful way to deliver a be er quality of
life for ci zens is through ensuring ci es are inclusive. To this end, residents must be
provided with all necessary social services, despite the fact that resources are
limited. This requires prudent planning and budge ng for urban spaces that
facilitate domes c commerce, offer improved mobility, and are equipped to face
environmental challenges. The only way to actualise the inclusive city concept is
through a comprehensive urban policy that is in line with the aspira ons of the
people.
I am grateful to the Chief Minister, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and members of the Land
Use and Building Control Council for their guidance on every step in the process of
formula ng the Urban Policy. The government organisa ons concerned will now
take forward the opera onalisa on of the Policy's implementa on framework. This
Policy will also help in opera onalising the master plans developed by the Urban
PolicyandPlanningUnit.
03
Secretary
SHAHMAHMOODKHAN
Looking at the current situa on in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa it is clear that the rapid
popula on growth, together with people migra ng from less developed regions to
the major ci es of the province, is crea ng a considerable burden on the exis ng
infrastructure and social sector facili es. This excessive burden on the province's
ci es is also aggrava ng environmental and climate change-related challenges.
Women and marginalised segments are par cularly affected by haphazard
urbanisa on. The government is working around the clock to iden fy methods to
deal with these challenges and to facilitate improvements in the lives of our people
to the utmost degree. Recognising these issues, we recognised that we needed a
ci zen-centricpolicythatcanprovideforwell-plannedsmartci es.
The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, through the Planning and Development
Department, is pleased to announce the first ever Urban Policy for the province,
which is also the first such policy in any province in Pakistan. This Policy will act as
guidance for all upcoming developments rela ng to residen al and commercial
buildings, transport networks, social facili es, and more. Through this Policy it is our
goaltomakeci esacrosstheprovinceinclusiveandliveableforall.
OnbehalfoftheGovernmentofKhyberPakhtunkhwa,Iwouldliketocongratulateall
of the line departments and government officials that have contributed to the
development of the Urban Policy. I also want to extend our gra tude to the Urban
Policy and Planning Unit and Sub-Na onal Governance programme teams, for their
un ringefforts,dedica on,andprofessionalismintheformula onofthispolicy.
The Planning and Development Department will now move towards
opera onalisa on of the Policy's implementa on framework. To this end,
strengthening and building the capacity of the Urban Policy and Planning Unit has
already been ini ated. We look forward to working with all relevant organisa ons,
and especially all line departments and local government administra ons, to ensure
the melycomple onofthePolicy'stargets.

Contents
Abbreviations
Ÿ Economic and real estate development
Ÿ Strategic city management planning
Ÿ Land use and floor area planning
Ÿ Municipal services and livability
Ÿ Traffic and mobility
Ÿ Tourism in ci es and in the Northern Zone
Ÿ Ins tu onal capacity building
Ÿ Annexurs
Ÿ Scope
Ÿ Principles
Ÿ Vision
Ÿ Cross-cu ng themes
Ÿ Goals and indicators
Ÿ Affordable housing, housing socie es,
condominiums, and building codes
Pakhtunkhwa Urban Policy
Ÿ Annexure 3:
Ÿ Annexure 5:
under the Urban Policy by zone
Community par cipa on guidelines
Linkages matrix
Ÿ Annexure 7:
Public space design guidelines
Implementa on framework for Khyber
Ÿ Annexure 6:
Three op ons for the list of qualifying ci es
Urban sector diagnos c
Ÿ Annexure 4:
Ÿ Annexure 1:
Guidelines for preparing SCMPs
Ÿ Annexure 2:
48
24
56
58
28
32
29
26
57
51
08
08
16
18
19
22
09
10
11
12
13
AI
ADB
BRT
CEO
EIA
FATA
GIS
GDP
IGC
KPBOS
KPCIP
NC
PKR
PPH
SCMP
UIPT
Artificial intelligence
Asian Development Bank
Bus Rapid Transit
Chief Executive Officer
Environmental Impact Assessment
Federally Administered Tribal Areas
Geographic Information System
Gross Domestic Product
International Growth Centre
Bureau of Statistics Planning and Development Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cities Improvement Project
Neighbourhood Council
Pakistani Rupees
Person Per Hectare
Strategic City Management Plan
Urban Immovable Property Tax

A. SCOPE
1. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Policy applies to
ci es ¹ in the province that fulfil certain criteria.
Three op ons for the list of qualifying ci es are
showcased by zone in Annexure 1, as summarised
below:
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Policy 2022–2030 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Policy 2022–2030
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
08 09
South zone includes Kohat, Bannu, and Dera Ismail
Khandivisions.²
3. All of the clauses in this Policy apply to all three
zones,unlessdis nctlyspecified.
4. This Urban Policy shall also be applicable within
the jurisdic ons of Urban Area Development
Authori es and the Development Authori es under
theKhyberPakhtunkhwaTourismAct2019.
5. The implementa on framework for this Policy is
presented in Annexure 2. The year by which all of the
targets set forth in this Policy should be achieved is
2030.
6.ThisPolicywillbereviewedandupdatedeverytwo
years by the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
un l 2030. From 2030 onwards, a new Urban Policy
willbedevelopedeveryfiveyears,onarollingbasis.
7. The vision of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban
Policy 2022–2030 is to provide strategic-level
direc on and a roadmap to the governments in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in regard to crea ng inclusive
opportuni es for individuals, businesses, and
communi es in urban centres, leading towards
increased social and economic mobility, while
ensuringenvironmentalsustainability.
C. PRINCIPLES
8. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a diverse province. Thus, a
uniformsetofurbanpolicieswouldnotbeapplicable
in all parts of the province. The first principle,
flexibility with adaptability, acknowledges this
diversity, as well as the aim of accommoda ng new
knowledge and experiences which emerge during
the implementa on stage. This Urban Policy
provides guidelines that are applicable in the en re
province.
10. Urban policies are understood as involving a
mul -level policy mix, across various sectors, and as
being achieved through mul -stakeholder
engagement. An urban policy will not succeed in
accomplishing its objec ves without there being in
place an ins tu onal framework that promotes
these interac ons. Collabora ve governance brings
public and private stakeholders together in collec ve
forums with public agencies to engage in consensus-
oriented decision-making. This process includes
face-to-face dialogue, trust building, and the
developmentofasharedunderstanding.
Ÿ ²- The characteris cs of the ci es within the three zones vary. In the Northern Zone, city size is o en smaller, with terrain that is different
from ci es in Central and South Zones. The economies of Northern Zone ci es are mostly agrarian, with the majority of revenue derived
fromtourismandrelatedac vi es.Ci esintheCentralZonearemoredeveloped,withrefinedtrade,commercial,andindustrialac vi es.
The health and educa on sectors are also superior. By contrast, the Southern Zone is mostly rural and s ll in the ini al phases of
development.Thesedis nguishingcharacteris csofthethreezoneshavebeenborneinmindwhendevelopingthePolicy'sguidelines.
Ÿ ¹- The popula on of each city has been assessed according to the block-wise summary of the 2017 Census by the Pakistan Bureau of
Sta s cs.Inthiscase,thedefini onofacityisanurbanlocalityoranurbanse lementwithinadistrict,andcanbeaMunicipalCommi ee
orCorpora on,asperthePakistanBureauofSta s cs.
Ÿ ⁴- Ferilli, G. S. (2016) 'Beyond the rhetoric of par cipa on: new challenges and prospects for inclusive urban regenera on', City, Culture
andSociety,pp.95–100.
Ÿ ³-Glaeser,E.(2012)'Thechallengeofurbanpolicy',JournalofPolicyAnalysisandManagement,pp.111–122
Flexibility and Adaptability
9. The tradi onal urban policy approach, which puts
engineering at the forefront, is now transforming
into an approach that pursues more humane and
social objec ves. ³ Inclusive urban planning is the
wayforwardforsustainabledevelopmentasitplaces
public par cipa on in the centre of the design
process. However, there is a risk that par cipa on
will be only 'cosme c', taking the form of holding
superficial public consulta ons with a few influen al
people at the very end of the planning process.
Another challenge of public par cipa on has to do
with the local community's capacity to self-
Inclusive urban planning
Collabora ve Governance
B. VISION
determine urban challenges and solu ons. The
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Policy advises adop ng
more inclusive and people-friendly consulta ve
processes. Moreover, the ac ve involvement of
ci zens in public spaces and the proac ve ac ons by
community organisa ons directly involve ci zens in
shaping their ci es, crea ng awareness, thus
increasing their sense of ownership over their
surroundings.⁴
a. Op on 1: The first op on selects 34 ci es
with a popula on greater than 40,000. A city in
this case is an 'urban locality', as specified by the
PakistanBureauofSta s cs.
b. Op on 2: The second op on lists 44 ci es and
tehsils, including districts that are not covered in
thefirstop on.Ci esselectedhereincludeurban
locali es with a popula on greater than 40,000
and the largest urban locali es for districts that
are not included in the former list. Furthermore,
tehsilswiththehighestpopula onperdistrictare
included in this list for districts that are not
includedinOp on1.
c. Op on 3: This op on lists 79 tehsils that consist
ofurbanneighbourhoodcouncils.
2. The Urban Policy has been contextualised
according to the on-the-ground reali es, and
therefore three zones have been applied: Northern,
Central, and Southern zones. The Northern zone
includes Hazara and Malakand divisions. The Central
ZoneconsistsofPeshawarandMardandivisions.The
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

GOALS⁵ AND INDICATORS
KeyindicatorsforGoal⁶:
11. Economic sustainability is concerned with
maximising resource efficiency and the prospects of
achieving long-term benefits. Environmental
sustainability is concerned with preserving the
natural environment (Ahmed et al., 2011). Social
sustainability is concerned with the development of
a be er local landscape of (social) networks.
Sustainability indicators assist in evalua ng the level
of development with respect to economic,
environmental, and social goals. These indicators
provide informa on about the consequences of land
use,transport,andinfrastructureinci es.
10 11
access to green spaces, helps in improving people's
quality of life, a rac ng investments, and
developing the workforce. Households benefit from
good access to services in the form of developing
be er human capital, and improving their health,
educa on,andproduc vity.
KeyindicatorsforGoal:
12. One of the core objec ves of the Urban Policy is
to encourage upward social mobility. The capacity
for children to have a be er life than their parents is
referred to as absolute upward social mobility. This
can occur through both a rise in income within a
single area and a decrease in inequality⁷. Social
mobility can also take the form of a shi in social
status in rela on to one's present social posi on
within a society⁸. Improvement in people's quality of
life, especially for women, children, and the
differently abled, is a related subject and is an
importantaim.Adequateservicedelivery,including
14. The theme of gender is addressed directly and
indirectly across the Policy guidelines set out in this
document. Many of the policy s pula ons, while
serving their direct intended purposes, also aim to
reduce gender inequality and make ci es safer, more
equitable, and more inclusive for women, children,
and marginalised communi es. Across Pakistan's
ci es, including those in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, there
exists inherent inequality between men and women.
Women are rou nely disadvantaged in numerous
spheres, leading to decreased opportuni es for
them. The Urban Policy seeks to address this by
laying down guidelines for land use and housing to
make ci es more accessible and navigable for
women. Similarly, specific guidelines are provided to
address women's mobility issues and to support
them to access public spaces. Significance has also
been provided to women's economic development
to enable them to become valuable members of the
labour force. Therefore, gender is an important and
cross-cu ng theme in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Urban Policy, which is visible in all clauses of the
document.
15. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Policy
encourages the introduc on and use of technologies
for urban development that will help make Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa ci es more liveable and more
inclusive. Technological interven ons are used
throughout the world to make ci es more efficient,
produc ve, and safe. Following this trend, this Policy
prescribes the adop on of technology as a means of
achieving many of the Policy goals. The Policy
prescribes the use of various technologies to tackle
issuesrelatedtoclimatechange,mobility,traffic,
Ÿ ⁶- Each indicator will be measured for each applicable city during the implementa on phase. The respec ve targets for each indicator are
setoutintheimplementa onframework.
Ÿ ⁸- Heckman, J.J., Mosso, S. (2014) 'The Economics of Human Development and Social Mobility, Annual Review of Economics 6, pp.
689–733.
Ÿ ⁵- The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Policy aims to achieve the following goals. Key indicators under every goal are given in order to monitor
achievement and facilitate oversight and assessment. Annexure 3 sets out the linkages and interrela onship between the goals,
indicators,sectors/themes,andcrosscu ngthemesandpolicyclauses.
Ÿ ⁷-WorldEconomicForum(2020)'TheGlobalSocialMobilityReport2020'. Ÿ ⁹- Pakistan Bureau of Sta s cs (2017) 'Provincial Census Report Khyber Pakhtunkhwa', Ministry of Planning, Development and Special
Ini a ves,Islamabad.SeealsoKhanetal.(2016).
Ÿ ¹⁰-PakistanBureauofSta s cs(2019)LabourForceSurvey2018–2019,GovernmentofPakistanMinistryofSta s cs,Islamabad.
Sustainable Ci es
Social Mobility and Liveability
13. A large group of young people is about to enter
the workforce in the province: 44% of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa's popula on is under the age of 15⁹. To
avoid widespread poverty and its a endant societal
difficul es, the number of job opportuni es in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's ci es must increase, to
reduce the current compara vely high
unemployment rate. The current increasing youth
unemployment rate is an alarming indicator and,
coupled with the rising number of young people,
poses economic and social risks. It should also be
noted that the labour force par cipa on for females
is 13.2%, as against 75.7% for males¹⁰. Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa needs to spur economic development
in ci es to create more jobs and income
opportuni esforbothyoungmenandwomen.
KeyindicatorsforGoal:
Youth-focused Economic Development
Gender
CROSS-CUTTING
THEMES
Technology
e. Number of public and private vehicles
inspectedforroadworthinessper1,00vehicles.
f.Shareofinvestmentinnon-motorisedtransport
(including footpaths and bicycle infrastructure)
out of total investment in transporta on
(includingroads).
c.Shareoflandthatismixeduse.
d.Shareoflandthatisdevotedtoeconomicuse.
a. Number of trees per 1,000 popula on and per
squarekilometre.
b. Number of days in a year during which the Air
QualityIndexisinthegoodrange.
e. The number of new public spaces developed in
partnership with the local communi es or private
sector.
b. Propor on of popula on with access to proper
sanita on.
c. Propor on of municipal solid waste collected
and safely disposed or recycled, out of total
municipalwastegenerated.
a. Propor on of popula on with access to clean
drinkingwater.
d.Shareoflandthatisopenspaceforpublicuse.
f. The value of investment in the maintenance of
g. Propor on of trips taken by public
transporta on(segregatedbymaleandfemale).
heritagesites.
c. Number of women trained in digital skills and
entrepreneurship.
d. Number of housing units (studio apartments or
smallflats)foryoungadultsandstudents.
a. Number of sports facili es created and
maintained.
b. Number of shared working spaces (and
number of youth benefi ng from these spaces)
created by public or private sectors or through
public–privatepartnership.
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

12 13
easyforthegeneralpublictounderstand.
20. The SCMPs shall priori se key local interven ons
and ac ons that address key challenges and seek to
ensuresustainablesolu onsinthefollowingsectors:
a. urban governance and organisa onal
effec veness;
b. landuseplanningandsustainablemobility;
c. safeandinclusiveurbandesign;
e. environmental sustainability and climate
changemi ga on;
d. localeconomicdevelopment;
g.communica onandoutreach.
f. financialstabilityandrevenuegenera on;
21. A disaster risk management response and
coordina on mechanism shall also be ins tuted
withintheSCMPs.
23. The SCMPs must require that every city publicly
announces the annual (budgeted and actual)
investmentinthefollowing:
22. The template provided in Annexure 4 shall be
followed in developing the SCMPs, and technical
support to this process will be offered by the Urban
PolicyandPlanningUnit.
andins tu onalcapaci es,amongothers.
16. Many of the interven ons suggested in the
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Policy have
sustainabilityasaprincipaltheme,eitherexplicitlyor
implicitly. This is because the overarching aim of the
Policy is to ensure Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's ci es are
resilient and vibrant, for current as well as future
genera ons. In the following clauses, Policy
prescrip ons are set out with regard to climate
change, waste management, urban foresta on and
vegeta on, sustainable land use, mobility, tourism
etc., among others. The theme of sustainability is
kept in mind with the aim of ensuring that the
guidelines safeguard the con nued well-being of
urban ci zens. To this end, the majority of the Policy
guidelines are given with the objec ve of ensuring
economic,environmental,andsocialsustainability.
Ÿ ¹¹- Guzman, L. A., and Gomez Cardona, S. (2021) 'Density-oriented public transport corridors: Decoding their influence on BRT ridership at
sta on-level and me-slot in Bogotá', Ci es 110, 103071. h ps://doi.org/10.1016/j.ci es.2020.103071. This source values the
importance of high densi es around transit sta ons and quotes a maximum viable density of 220 to 250 PPH within the catchment area of
atransitsta on(400to800metres).
Ÿ ¹²- UN HABITAT (n.d.) A New Strategy of Sustainable Neighborhood Planning: Five Principles. UN HABITAT. This source proposes an average
popula ondensityofatleast15,000personspersq.km(150PPH).
Ÿ ¹³- Hasan, A. (2018) The Crisis of Urban Housing. Retrieved from dawn.com: h ps://www.dawn.com/news/1427893/the-crisis-of-urban-
housing. In this ar cle, Arif Hassan recommends a density of 400 PPH for the megacity of Karachi. This has been adapted to the local
contextofKhyberPakhtunkhwaci esandisonlyproposedintheCentralZonearoundthetransitsta ons,asanupperlimit.
Ÿ ¹⁴- The upcoming Lahore Master Plan 2050 also proposes an average density of 300 to 400 PPH around mass transit lines, 250 PPH in
currentlow-densityhousingschemes,and150PPHinotherallowedresiden alareas.
Ÿ ¹⁵- World Bank Group (2018) Dar es Salaam Metropolitan Development Project: BRT Phase 1 Corridor Development Strategy (Vol. 3):
Volume 3 - Benchmarking Transit Oriented Development. This source shares the best prac ce of the first-ever bus rapid transit in Curi ba,
Brazil, which created a density of 300-400 PPH around the key terminal sta ons within the central business area and 150–200 PPH around
thesuburbanresiden alneighbourhoodareas.
shape.
b.Planningshallencompassexis nggreenspaces
and natural elements within the terrain and
surroundings. Natural features like trees, lakes,
rivers, streams etc. shall be protected, and
planningandconstruc onshalltakeplacearound
them.
STRATEGIC CITY
MANAGEMENT PLANNING
Sustainability (Economic, Environmental,
Social)
17. In addi on to the crea on of master plans,
Strategic City Management Plans (SCMPs) shall be
created at the city level for three-year periods, on a
rollingbasis.
18. The Deputy Commissioner of the district, the
Mayor/Chairperson of the city, and the Director
General of the relevant Development Authority,
whereapplicable,shalljointlydeveloptheSCMP,and
will obtain approval of the SCMP from the District
Land Use and Management Commi ee. The Chief
Execu ve Officer (CEO) of the Cantonment Board(s)
shallalsobeconsultedwherepossible.
19. The SCMPs' language shall be user-friendly and
LAND USE AND FLOOR AREA
PLANNING
27. Indica ve land use plans shall be prepared at the
city level, while detailed and enforceable land use
plans must be prepared at the Neighbourhood
Councillevel.
28. Plans shall incorporate a proper grid-and-iron
layout (where the terrain is conducive) for new ci es
ordevelopments,andforurbanregenera on.
26. Land use, building control, and zoning rules,
bylaws, standing orders, and instruc onal circulars
shall be revised, updated, and consolidated in
conformity with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban
Policy and codified into a single detailed Land Use,
BuildingandZoningCode.Thefollowingclausesshall
serve as guiding principles for land use plans and
floorareaplanninginurbanareas.
g.heritage.
e.treeplanta onandcare;
f.publicspaces(includingsportsac vi es);
c. walkability (including footpaths and other
pedestrianinfrastructure);
a.roads;
b.publictransport;
d.bicycling;
25. The SCMPs shall be displayed on the websites of
the Urban Policy and Planning Unit, the District
Administra on, the office of the Mayor/Chairperson
of the City/Tehsil Local Government, and the
DevelopmentAuthority.
24. The performance of all interven ons must be
measured, monitored, and evaluated semi-annually
duringthethree-yearperiod.
30. Housing and other residen al development shall
be established adjacent to previous residen al
developments in a con guous manner, to avoid
leapfrogdevelopment.
29. Plans shall incorporate polycentric development,
with more than one central business district, to
alleviatepressurefromhavingjustonecitycentre.
a.Housingsocie esandothermegaprojectsshall
be developed in arid areas and banned in
cul vatedareas.
31. Land use plans developed at neighbourhood and
housing society level shall be based on density
targetsandflexiblestandards.
b.Proposeddensi esshallvarybydensityzoneor
by distance from transit line in the Central
Zone:¹³,¹⁴,¹⁵
a. A medium level of popula on density shall be
maintained, with the aim of ensuring an average
density of 20,000 persons per square kilometre
(200 persons per hectare (PPH)) ¹¹, ¹², in the
Central Zone (especiallyfor new developments or
urbanregenera on).
a. New development plots and urban
regenera on parcels shall be rectangular in
Department
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14 15
32. The density targets for private housing schemes
in the Northern and Southern zones shall be
prescribed by the Local Government, Elec ons, and
RuralDevelopmentDepartment.
33. On-the-ground land use conversion or
reclassifica on shall be implemented one year a er
the date of decision (to convert or reclassify), i.e.
there will be a one-year gesta on period, during
which the infrastructure capacity for municipal
ameni esmustbedeveloped.
Ÿ ²¹- Shahraki, A. A. (2020) 'Urban Planning for Physically Disabled People's Needs with Case Studies', Springer Link, 12. This study discusses
theop mumstandardsformakingci esaccessibleforthedifferentlyabledandcitesseveralinterna onalexamples,whichcanbeapplied
inKhyberPakhtunkhwa.
Ÿ ²⁰- Ibid.
Ÿ ²³- American Planning Associa on (n.d.) Cemeteries in the City Plan. Retrieved from planning.org:
h ps://www.planning.org/pas/reports/report16.htm. The American Planning Associa on has conducted a study of land use propor ons
forcemeteriesandindicatestheneedforatleast2%oflandforgraveyards.
Ÿ ²²- Capital Development Authority (Regional Planning Directorate) (2020) Revised Modali es & Procedures (2020) Framed Under ICT
(Zoning) Regula on, 1992 (As Amended) For Development Of Private Housing/Farm Housing Schemes In Zones 2, 4 & 5 Of Islamabad
Capital Territory Zoning Plan, Islamabad. In addi on to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa housing scheme rules, Islamabad housing scheme rules
alsosuggestatleast2%oflandshouldbededicatedtograveyards
Ÿ ²⁵-TheupcomingLahoreMasterPlan2020alsoproposestoincreasetheopenspacelimitfrom7%to20%.
Ÿ ²⁶- Pozoukidou, G. and Chatziyiannaki, Z. (2021) '15-Minute City: Decomposing the new urban planning eutopia', Sustainability 13(2), p.
928.
Ÿ ²⁷- Moreno, C., Allam, Z., Chabaud, D., Gall, C. and Pratlong, F. (2021) 'Introducing the “15-Minute City”: Sustainability, resilience and place
iden tyinfuturepost-pandemicci es',SmartCi es4(1),pp.93–111.
Ÿ ²⁸- World Economic Forum (2022) BiodiverCi es by 2030: Transforming Ci es' Rela onship with Nature. The adop on of these standards
bycitygovernmentsacrosstheworldisrecommendedbytheWorldEconomicForum,toensureequitableandsustainableci es.
Ÿ ²⁴-UNHABITAT(n.d.)ANewStrategyofSustainableNeighborhoodPlanning:FivePrinciples.
Ÿ ¹⁶- A consul ng firm is any legal en ty which independently performs studies, prepares reports, develops designs, supervises work, or
conductssimilaradvisoryac vi esinanydisciplineandisregisteredorlicensedbytherespec vecouncil.
Ÿ ¹⁷- The standard percentages discussed are not a propor on of the land, but a percentage of the total covered area of all buildings, as
ver calgrowthisproposed.
Ÿ ¹⁹-Ibid.
Ÿ ¹⁸- UN HABITAT (n.d.) A New Strategy of Sustainable Neighborhood Planning: Five Principles. UN HABITAT. This source gives the
recommendedlandusemixforensuringsustainableci es
40. There shall be an increase in social, public places,
especially places for families and women. Guidelines
for the design of urban public places are provided in
Annexure5. c. A community geotagging system shall be
designed allowing ci zens to crowd source data
abouttheloca onoftrees,andpicturesofthem.
d. Protected areas shall be designated within
ci es to secure natural habitats and urban
heritage.
e. All empty, state-owned pieces of land shall be
convertedtourbanforests.
b. All roo op space of 100 m2 or more shall be
convertedtogreenroofs.
a. A minimum of 9 m2 of accessible, urban green
spaceperinhabitantshallbeprovided.
Density zone
Distance
from
transit
Average
popula on
density
Mixed use, with high-density
residen al developments
(central business district)
<400
metres
301 to
400 PPH
Mixed use with
medium-density residen al
developments
400 to
800
metres
201 to
300 PPH
Low-density residen al
developments
>800
metres
100 to
200 PPH
a. The first step for assessing the land use
conversion/reclassifica on applica on shall be to
perform a detailed Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA), which must include traffic and
water and sanita on impact assessments
assessing the current and future poten al status.
The EIA must be conducted by an independent
qualified consul ng firm¹⁶, in collabora on with
the Environmental Protec on Agency. The land
use conversion/reclassifica on applica on shall
be rejected if the net impact of the future
poten alstatusisnega ve.
34. The fees charged for building developments with
higher densi es/high floor area ra os, and for
conver ng them to commercial use, shall be applied
intheredevelopmentoftherespec veareaandin
35. A robust management informa on system and
Geographic Informa on System (GIS) mechanism
shall be developed to monitor, maintain, and
regulate land use plans and conversions/
reclassifica ons (inaddi on to otherbuildingcontrol
elements).
the upgrading of exis ng public u li es, services,
andalliedfacili es.
36. Mixed-use development shall require ver cal
growth and a mix of residen al, commercial, light
industrial, office, and other land uses. These diverse
func ons must be compa ble and must be carefully
designedandadministered¹⁷.
38. The transport network shall occupy not more
than 30–40% of the land, including roads and
parking²⁰.
a.Disabledparkingshallcover5%ofthetotalland
allocatedtoparking²¹.
spacesforcommuni es.
e. Neighbourhoods and housing socie es shall be
mandated to add a prayer area in each residen al
blockorbuilding.
f. Community centres for senior ci zens and
women shall be mandatory in neighbourhoods
andhousingsocie es.
d. Public open spaces must be located within a
maximum of 1,000 metres, or within a walking
distance of 15–20 minutes, of every household.²⁶
²⁷,
c. Public open spaces include sidewalks, parks,
market squares, greenways, public libraries,
sports and community centres, and other
recrea onalspaces.
c.Commercialuseshallbeensuredonlower-level
floors, to ensure a vibrant environment as well as
safetyonthestreets.
b. There shall be an increase in economic (light
industrial and commercial) ac vity and at least
40% of the covered area in a neighbourhood shall
beallocatedforeconomicspace.
a . Fo r a s u sta i n a b l e a n d m i xe d - u s e
neighbourhood, the recommended total floor
space alloca ons (or total covered area
propor ons) are 40–60% for economic use,
30–50% for residen al usage, and 10–20% for
public u li es/ameni es. The proposed criteria
are in a range to provide for flexibility so that
ci es can tailor them to their unique
circumstances¹⁸.
d. Low-cost housing should account for 20% to
30% of total residen al floor area (especially for
new developments), with owner occupancy
accoun ng for no more than 50% of the total, to
assisttherentalmarket¹⁹.
37. Single func on blocks of segregated land use
(other than the transport network, graveyards, and
public open spaces) shall cover less than 10% of the
39. Graveyards in urban centres and housing
socie es, being an essen al requirement, shall
occupyatleast2%ofland²²²³.
a. An assessment shall be conducted to
determine the current need in respect of
graveyards, in and around exis ng urban built-up
areas.
c. As this is an urgent ma er, a relevant plan shall
be cra ed within six months of the approval of
thisPolicy.
d. Housing socie es shall be mandated to provide
space for graveyards, in accordance with the
aforemen onedparameters.
41. All urban development shall encourage and
legallyenforceurbanforesta onandvegeta on²⁸.
b. Urban regenera on shall be carried out in
exis ng built-up areas so as to create small public
a.Atleast15–20%oflanduseshallbeallocatedto
public open spaces in new developments,
including towns under Development Authori es
andprivatehousingsocie es.²⁴²⁵,
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

16 17
a. One standard bus shall be allocated per 125
housingunits,opera ngthree mesaday.
publictransportfromandtocommercialhubs.
d. Only 15% of the society's waste shall go to
landfillsites.
46. Each approved housing society shall develop and
manage a wastewater or sewerage treatment plant.
It shall carry out primary, secondary, and ter ary
treatment of waste. The treated water shall be used
for non-potable needs, such as flushing, watering
gardens, and washing cars. The capacity of such
plants shall be in accordance with the
popula on/sizeofthehousingsociety.
45. Primary collec on of solid waste shall be carried
out by housing socie es, including apartment
complexes. Housing socie es should reduce, reuse,
and recycle solid waste at a rate of 85% of the total
waste .
²⁹
a. Waste generated in homes shall be segregated
at source, daily, into three different bins: one for
organic waste, one for dry and recyclable, and
one landfill waste. Housing socie es shall also
provide three large, colour-coded plas c bins in
eachhousingunit.
b. Bio-compos ng pits are to be installed in each
housing society, especially new ones. Organic
waste is to be converted into manure using bio-
culture in the compos ng pits. This manure can
be used for common gardens in the society and
therestcanbegiventoresidents.
c. Dry and recyclable waste from housing
socie es is to be given to public and private waste
management companies and manufacturing
companiesforrecycling,onaprioritybasis.
47. A comprehensive programme of slum
upgrada on shall be ini ated to transform locali es
into vibrant and liveable spaces that contribute
towardseconomicdevelopment .
³⁰
a. Land tenure regularisa on shall be
implemented in slums across Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa to provide tenancy rights to slum
a. The rules shall incen vise the development of
small one- and two-bedroom flats and studio
apartments, in line with the condominium
law/rulesmadethereunder.
b. It shall be mandatory for every house with a
plot size of 10 Marla or more to establish an
undergroundrainwaterharves ngtank.
c. The recommended mixed-use propor ons
shall be adapted for housing socie es, with
flexible residen al percentages. The cap of 1%,
5%, or 10% commercial land use shall be
removed.
43. Prior to the development of housing socie es,
the EIA shall also analyse the increase in vehicular
emissions due to the distances travelled and traffic
conges on caused, among other poten al
environmental, social, and health effects of a
proposeddevelopment.
44. Housing socie es shall provide compulsory
42. The Local Government, Elec ons, and Rural
Development Department shall revise the private
housing scheme rules and regula ons to incen vise
mixed-use development and low-cost housing by
providingtaxrebates.
Ÿ ³⁰-Interna onalGrowthCentre(IGC)(2019)PolicyOp onsforInformalSe lements.
Ÿ ²⁹- The following ideas are adapted from case studies of housing socie es in Mumbai which have begun successful management of their
solidwaste.
Ÿ ³¹- GovernmentofKhyberPakhtunkhwa(2022).KhyberPakhtunkhwaClimateChangeAc onPlan.EnvironmentalProtec onAgency.
48. Restric ons on land use and construc on
techniques (encouraging incremental housing) shall
be reduced, to lower the costs of housing
construc on.
50. The laws governing tenancy and restric ons on
rented buildings shall be enforced in both le er and
spirit to ensure background checks and the
submission of character cer ficates from the police
for tenants before lease agreements are signed with
tenants.
49. A condominium law shall be promulgated to
govern joint ownership of flats or apartments in a
building. The propor on of co-ownership shall be
the ra o of the covered area for which the individual
has paid in full or in part to the total covered area of
thesaleableareaofthecondominium.
dwellers and to encourage investment in their
homesandcommuni es.
c. Community-ledprogrammesshallbeini ated
for the building of sewerage systems and other
coreinfrastructureinslums.
a. Rules under the proposed condominium law
shall be prescribed to address zone-specific
issues.
b. Joint insurance of buildings by management
commi ee (consis ng of co-owners) from a class
A or AA ra ng insurance company shall be
mandatory under the law, to cover the risk of
damage on account of fires, earthquakes, and
othernaturalorman-madecalami es.
c. The condominium law and rules shall provide
clear and binding direc on regarding
maintenance, cleanliness, and regular renova on
of the building, in addi on to security, safety, and
the removal of encroachments on the common
areas
51. Dynamic and localised building codes shall be
designed and formalised specifying the type of
materials, colours, and architectural designs that can
be u lised in a building's eleva on or façade, to
b. There shall be mass campaigns to strengthen
physical founda ons of housing structures in
informalse lements.
b. New developments shall be prohibited if the
architectural eleva on of the proposed design is
notinaccordancewiththesebuildingcodes.
e. Solar installa on shall be encouraged for
energyconserva on.
c. The building codes shall priori se the
introduc on of sustainable and climate-smart
building methods and materials for housing and
commercial buildings, as s pulated in the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Climate Change Ac on Plan,
2022³¹.
safeguard the image and character of the city in
whichitislocated.
a. These building codes shall be incorporated in
the prevailing land use, building, and zoning
ordinance/regula ons, to ensure their effec ve
implementa on
d. Building codes for high-rise structures shall
priori se the safeguarding of wind corridors for
westerly disturbances and southwest monsoon
systems.
f. Fire-retardantmaterialshallbeusedinbuilding
design where possible, and fire ex nguishers
shallbeprovided.
g. High-rise buildings that are five storeys and
above shall be mandated to undergo periodic
inspec onsevery 10years,commencingfromthe
comple on of construc on. A er the first
inspec on, subsequent inspec ons shall be
carried out every 10 years by an accredited
structural engineer. The inspec on shall be
divided into two phases: visual inspec on and
structural inves ga on. Visual inspec on shall
seek to detect any defects that may endanger the
structural integrity of the building. If dilapida on
is found to be severe, further structural
inves ga on will be needed. Consequently,
repair and restora on of the building may be
implemented, and in severe cases demoli on
maybeordered.
52. Demand (willingness and ability to pay) shall be
created by encouraging banks to provide housing
loans to different groups, such as shop owners,
projectemployees,andwomen.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING, HOUSING
SOCIETIES, CONDOMINIUMS, AND
BUILDING CODES
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

18 19
58. Startups shall be linked with the financial sector
and their access to financial schemes shall be
facilitated.
a. Shop galleries, showcases, and popups (with
both permanent and temporary space op ons)
shall be organised for women entrepreneurs and
small-andmedium-scalebusinesses.
61. Digital literacy training shall be provided to
women to hone their skills in rela on to home-based
entrepreneurship and to op mise their business
processes.
60. A separate market shall be established for
women only, which shall also be managed solely by
women, where small-scale vendors can rent stalls at
aminimalprice.
62. Circular economy shall be promoted and
encouraged by providing tax rebates to businesses
that recycle, reuse, refurbish, and remanufacture
waste(orby-products)inlargequan es.
a. Producers/manufacturersshallbeencouraged
to embrace circular economy principles through
the establishment of design standards and
norms. The process of se ng these standards
shall take place in collabora on with
stakeholders.
63. Street vendors shall be iden fied and issued with
Street Vending Licences. Every holder of a Street
Vending Licence shall pay a fee to the local
government/town municipal associa on, which
shallbedeterminedbytherespec veauthority.
57. The Deputy Commissioner of the district,
Mayor/Chairperson of the city, and the DG of the
relevant Development Authority, where applicable,
shall jointly design ini a ves to promote women
entrepreneurs and technology firms through
providingsharedworkingspaces.
59. Underu lised government buildings or land shall
be repurposed as tech spaces and bazars for youth
andwomen.
64.Foodinspec ons,especiallyforsmall-scalestreet
vendors, shall be conducted regularly to maintain
hygiene.
53. Development of developed plots shall occur
withinthreeyearsofpurchase.
a. The land use of locali es and the skillsets of
students must be adjusted according to the
trendsinmanufacturingandservicesindustries.
a. A developed plot shall be charged a higher
transfer fee and higher taxes if it is sold and
transferredmorethanthree mes
54. The Bureau of Sta s cs shall analyse the trends
of industries (manufacturing and services) and job
markets(supplyanddemand),segregatedbygender.
55. Special focus shall be given to marginalised
groups (including women, children, youth, the
elderly, and the differently abled) in regard to social
andeconomicopportuni es.
56. The quality and availability of internet access
shall be ensured, and digital connec vity shall be
improved.
a. The government shall promote informa on
technology and shall oversee the establishment
ofinforma ontechnologyparksinurbanareas.
b. The government shall ensure the deployment
of internet infrastructure by engaging the private
sector.
c. In underdeveloped rural areas where there is a
low likelihood of investment, the government
shall invest to provide internet access to the local
popula on.
d. The government shall also create transparent
andaffordablelicensingproceduresatalllevelsof
infrastructure.
Ÿ ³²- Pakistan Environmental Protec on Agency (2000) Na onal Environmental Quality Standards for Municipal and Liquid Industrial
Effluents.TheGovernmentofPakistan,Islamabad.
c. Industries shall be mandated to choose
suppliers that apply sustainability targets across
theirvaluechains.
67. A simple and easy way to pay provincial taxes,
fees, charges, tolls, and other government dues,
online, shall be introduced, simplified, consolidated,
andexpanded.
b. Industries shall be mandated to replace old
infrastructure with greener, more efficient, and
sustainableinfrastructureandequipment.
a. Employees shall be provided with company
transport to and from key loca ons, and with
discountedaccesstopublictransport.
65. Industries located within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's
ci es, for example, in Hayatabad in Peshawar, shall
be required to conform to adapta on strategies to
reducetheirnega veimpactontheenvironment.
66. Environmentally hazardous industries (brick
kilns, for example) shall be mandated to treat their
waste as per the 'Na onal Environmental Quality
Standards for Municipal and Liquid Industrial
Effluents' defined by the Pakistan Environmental
Protec on Agency ³². Failure to do this shall result in
theseindustriesbeingpenalised.
68. The Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the district,
Mayor/Chairperson of the city, and the Director
General of the relevant Development Authority,
where applicable, and the CEO of the Cantonment
Board(s), shall organise monthly mee ngs with
business sector representa ves to address their
concerns and demands rela ng to urban
management. These officials will also forward their
challenges/demandstotherespec veprovincialand
federal government organisa ons for their
considera on.
b. Industries shall set up proper mechanisms for
thetreatmentanddisposalofwasteproductsand
effluents.
69. Financial grant proposals shall be prepared and
availed to tap into the funds for sustainable ci es
programmes provided by the Grand Climate Fund
and Global Environment Facility, especially for
Peshawar in the Central Zone and Mingora in the
Northern Zone. The Global Environment Facility
currently supports 23 ci es in nine countries, and
focuses on integrated urban planning, low-carbon
infrastructure, sustainable waste management, and
nature-basedsolu onsforurbansustainability.
70. The Environmental Protec on Agency shall be
responsible for monitoring the air quality and
publiclyrepor ngtheresults.
71.In addi on to tes ng industrial effluents, the
Environmental Protec on Agency or the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Water Resources Regulatory Authority
established under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Water
Act 2020 shall conduct periodic tes ng and
monitoring of the quality of drinking water provided
bydifferentserviceproviders.
a. Several low-cost air monitors (and at least one
reference-grade sensor) shall be installed at
variousloca onsineachcity.
a. Water service providers shall be fined for
supplyingunfitdrinkingwater.
ECONOMIC AND REAL ESTATE
DEVELOPMENT
MUNICIPAL SERVICES AND
LIVEABILITY
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

20 21
consump on of municipal services (such as water
use) or the number of household members, instead
ofaccordingtopropertysize.
82. The municipal service delivery providers shall
outsource bill prin ng and distribu on to modern
delivery companies to increase bill delivery
efficiencyto90%andincreaserevenuecollec on.
a. Consumer and bulk water metering shall be
ensuredforeachbuilding³⁴.
81. Local Government Department will ensure that
there are no overlapping func ons being performed
by the Water and Sanita on Service Companies, the
Public Health Engineering Department, and the local
governments.
84. Housing socie es, commercial plazas, clinics, and
medical centres shall only be given a No Objec on
Cer ficate for construc on if they submit a proper
wastemanagementplanfortheirfacility.
83. The dead debt of municipal services shall be
waivedwiththecondi onthatthelastcycle'sbilland
allfuturebillsshallbepaid.
85. A solid waste management policy and act shall be
dra edfortheprovincecoveringthefollowingareas:
a. A commitment, and planning to, reduce, reuse,
andrecyclesolidwaste;
b.Prohibi ngsolidwastedisposalinwaterbodies
throughtheimposi onofheavyfines;
c. Promo ngwastesegrega onatsource;
d. U lising non-biodegradable plas cs and other
waste in road construc on and other
manufacturingindustries;
f. Encouragingreusableclothshoppingbags;
h. Producinggasfromlandfillwaste;
e. Imposing a ban on non-biodegradable plas c
bags;
g.Ensuringthecompos ngoforganicwaste;
I. Ini a ng community clean-up drives at
neighbourhoodlevel;
73. Water resources (ground and surface) shall be
conserved and redistributed, and allocated for
domes c, agricultural, ecological, industrial, and
otherpurposes.
80. Residents shall pay according to their actual
72. The Environmental Protec on Agency shall also
monitor and regulate solid waste disposal and
recycling.
77. More opportuni es shall be created for the
private sector in delivery of public services, through
performancecontracts.
76. Rainwater harves ng apparatus shall be installed
in new building designs to collect and store the
rainwaterinundergroundwatertanks,asspecifiedin
the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Climate Change Ac on
Plan,2022³³.
78. The water and sewage infrastructure shall be
upgraded to meet the demand of the prevailing
ac vity in each area, specifically in the event of rapid
landuseconversionandcommercialisa on.
b. Community water tanks shall be cleaned on a
monthlybasis.
75. The underground water table and aquifers shall
be recharged by designing and building permeable
surfaces and other mechanisms for the collec on of
stormwaterrunoff.
74. Ground water extrac on shall be discouraged,
especially for bulk water users, such as car service
sta ons or workshops and heavy water-based
industries,byimposingfeesorusercharges.
79. Water and sanita on service providers (including
the Water and Sanita on Service Companies) shall
establish a municipal policing system for imposing
fines in case water resources are not being used as
perrules.
Ÿ ³⁶-Ontheprivatesector'srolealsoseeKhanandAhmed(2014).
Ÿ ³⁵-Thepolicyguidelinesherehavebeenadaptedfromacommunity-governmentini a veforcleandrinkingwaterinBhalwal,Pakistan,as
described in I ikhar, M. N., Ali, S. and Sarzynski, A. (2018) 'Community–government partnership for metered clean drinking water: A case
studyofBhalwal,Pakistan',inClimateChangeinCi es,Springer,Cham,pp.163-179.
Ÿ ³⁷-Shahraki,A.A.(2020)'UrbanPlanningforPhysicallyDisabledPeople'sNeedswithCaseStudies',SpringerLink,12.
Ÿ ³³-GovernmentofKhyberPakhtunkhwa(2022)KhyberPakhtunkhwaClimateChangeAc onPlan.EnvironmentalProtec onAgency.
Ÿ
Ÿ ³⁴- I ikhar, M. N., Ali, S., and Sarzynski, A. (2018) 'Community–government partnership for metered clean drinking water: A case study of
Bhalwal,Pakistan',ClimateChangeinCi es,Springer,Cham,pp.163–179.
88. Ci es shall designate specified areas for solid
wastelandfillsandseweragetreatmentplants.
87. The mixing of tube well and sewage water shall
be avoided by preven ng sewage overflow,
construc ng sep c tanks, and separa ng sewage
pipes.
b. In the event that the removal of trees is
necessary, new trees shall be planted as per the
89. All water bodies and drainage systems shall be
cleaned through public and private resources and
communitymobilisa on.
a. Heavy fines shall be imposed in response to
thefellingoftreesforthesepurposes.
j. Conduc ngawarenesssessionsinschools;
k. Theinstalla onoftrashbinsinpublicareas.
86. The propor on of people without access to
improvedsanita onshallbereducedbyhalf.
90.Communityandgovernmentpartnershipshallbe
ini ated to deliver municipal services (water,
sanita on, and solid waste) in peri-urban areas, and
small urban se lements, especially in the Southern
andNorthernzones³⁵.
‘
a.Guidanceandtrainingshallbeprovidedtolocal
residents to enable them to carry out such
projects, such as providing them with a basic
understanding of the engineering design of the
projectandopera onsandmaintenance.
b. The government shall finance up to 80% of
capitalcosts.
c. The community shall par cipate in the
procurementprocess.
d. The project management shall be handled by
the local community jointly with the local
government.
91. The removal of trees shall be prohibited in large
development and construc on projects including
housingsocie es.
resultsoftheEIA.
93. Greenery shall be enhanced on canal patrolling
roadsandtracts.
92. Only indigenous trees shall be planted in public
openspacesoralongroads.
94. Women's parks shall be developed in each city
with a minimum space of 9 m2 for every female
resident.
96. For every tehsil, a minimum of one state-of-the-
artpubliclibraryshallbeestablished.
97. Daycare facili es shall be provided by the
government,withonedaycarecentrepertehsil.
95. Extra-curricular ac ves, inter-collegiate events,
and youth compe ons shall be organised for
women and youth at city level, and sponsorship for
theseshallbesoughtfromtheprivatesector.
a. Privatesectorcompaniesshallbemandatedto
provide appropriate daycare facili es in their
offices/factories etc. The quality of these facili es
shall be regulated by the government via the
development of guidelines and standards for
daycarecentres³⁶.
99. A women's safety applica on shall be developed,
and self-defence classes shall be organised for
women.
b. A list of all daycare facili es in all ci es of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa shall be published and
madepubliclyavailable.
98. Trainings on gender sensi vity and reduc on in
bias shall be introduced in the secondary school
curriculumacrossKhyberPakhtunkhwa.
100. A special police force shall be deployed for the
protec on of women, especially during the star ng
andclosinghoursoffemaleeduca onalins tutes.
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

22 23
104. The share of investment in each mode of
transport must be equitably balanced, and data
about the investment values rela ng to roads,
footpaths, and public transport in each city shall be
madepublicthroughdigitalandnon-digitalmeansof
dissemina on.
105. Bi-annual traffic impact assessments shall be
conducted for all roads, and the results shall be
publiclydisseminated.
106. Traffic count data by mode of transport shall be
regularly collected and monitored using ar ficial
intelligence- (AI-) and machine learning-based
camerasandreal- metrafficmonitoring.
a. Footpath connec vity shall be enhanced by
reloca ng and regularising encroachments,
facilita ng con nuity, and increasing footpath
width to at least 10 feet (3 metres) where
possible.
b. Footpaths should consist of three zones in the
Central and Southern zones. The frontage zone
should be 0.5 to 1 metre wide and should be a
buffer between street-side ac vi es and the
pedestrian zone. The pedestrian zone should
107. Non-motorised transporta on (walking and
bicycling) shall be encouraged to control both
obesity among the popula on and deteriora on in
theairquality³⁸.
102. Separate female and male public toilets shall be
mandated (and maintained) in public spaces and
commercial areas, especially in large shopping malls
andhospitalwai ngrooms.
c. The number of stairs in any staircase shall not
exceed eight and the stair width shall be at least
1.5metres.
a. A No Objec on Cer ficate for construc on
shall be provided only when separate female
publictoiletsareincludedinthesiteplan.
a. Employees of this special force should be
requiredtoundertakesensi vitytraining.
101. A system shall be established to rehabilitate
drug users and the homeless, par cularly those
occupying pedestrian underpasses, and awareness
campaigns shall be conducted to prevent the
paymentofcharitytodrugaddicts.
103. Access to the differently abled shall be
facilitated in public spaces, commercial areas, and
housing socie es, and shall be given special
a en on³⁷.
a. There must be handrails next to publicly
accessible stairs and the handrails must not be
obstructedwithobjects.
b. Public toilets shall be designed to aid the
differently abled. The dimension of public toilet
compartmentsshallbeatleast2.2x2.2metres.
d. Ramps should be installed at all entrances and
accesspoints,withawidthofatleast1.5metres.
e. The width of sidewalks must be at least three
metres and surfaces should be smooth and non-
slippery. There should be dis nct boundaries
between materials and plants, grass, paving, and
edges,toaidorienta onforthedisabled.
f. Elevators should have enough space for two
and should be equipped so that people at the
heightofawheelchairareabletousethebu ons.
Ÿ ³⁸- Ins tute for Transporta on and Development Policy (n.d.). Non-Motorised Transport Strategy Template. United Na ons
EnvironmentProgramme.
have a width of 2 metres, be free of any obstacles,
and allow pedestrians to walk unhindered. The
furniture zone should provide space for signs,
lightsetc.
c. Faulty streetlights shall be repaired under a
regular maintenance plan and the street ligh ng
networkshallbeextendedinallci es.
d. Streetlightsshallbeconvertedtosolarenergy.
e. Dedicated bicycle lanes shall be developed and
separated by elevated pla orms and
channelisers. The lanes shall be at least 2 metre
wide and should have a smooth surface material.
This is applicable in the Central and Southern
zones.
I. Laws shall be established and strengthened
imposing lower speed limits. A maximum speed
limit of 50 km/h shall be enforced on primary
roads in the Central and Southern zones and 30
km/hintheNorthernZone.
j. The corner radii of streets shall be narrowed.
This will reduce vehicle speeds and ensure the
safetyofpassengersandpedestrians.
h. Bicycle sharing systems should be
implemented in dense, mixed-use city areas to
serve short trips and improve last-mile
connec vitytopublictransport.
109. In dense city centres, motorised vehicle-free
zones shall be designated for at least one day per
month. This shall gradually increase to once per
week.
g. Microfinance facili es shall be provided to
supportthepurchaseoflow-costbicycles.
k. Strict implementa on of vehicles' road fitness
shall be ensured by traffic police and the
TransportDepartment.
108. Street vendors shall be encouraged and
dedicated vending spaces on city streets shall be
iden fied. Streets shall be closed to motorised
transport at certain mes of the day, so that street
vendors can provide a safer environment for
pedestrians.
f. Bicycleparkingshouldbeprovidedforallpublic
buildings, educa onal ins tu ons etc., and end-
of-tripfacili eslikebikestorageshallbeprovided.
b. Themaximumnumberofpollutantsallowedin
exhaust gases released from an internal
combus on engine shall be clearly defined by
tailpipe/exhaust emission rules (or as per
na onal or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa environment
quality standards), and shall be tested in the
annual examina on of road worthiness through
theVehicularEmissionsTes ngSta ons.
c. MoreVehicularEmissionsTes ngSta onsshall
be established and equitably distributed across
theprovince.
a. Heavyfinesshallbeimposedforviola ons.
a. Vehicle registra on shall not be renewed un l
a registered vehicle has cleared the road
worthinesstest.
b. Wide public transit coverage shall be provided
inthesezonesasanalterna vetoprivatecaruse.
114. For every new se lement, single-occupancy
vehicles shall be disincen vised and carpooling shall
beincen vised.
113. Car-free zones shall be designated in congested
neighbourhoods of each city, as well as 'limited
traffic zones' where private cars are not allowed
withoutaspecialpermit.
116. A mechanism shall be put in place imposing the
mandatory requirement of annual examina ons of
the road worthiness of all forms of transport,
includingprivatecarsandpublictransitvehicles.
117. Enforcement of seat belt and helmet use shall
be intensified. The sale price of helmets shall be
subsidised.
115. Ring-road access shall be limited through
imposi onoftolltaxes.
112. The Mayors/Chairpersons of the City/Tehsil
Local Governments must implement car parking
charges (via smart metering) and clearly designate
parking,limited- meparking,andno-parkingzones.
111. Private car use shall be reduced by levying
environmentalandroadmaintenancetaxes.
110. Monthly advocacy events for sustainable
commu ng(walkingandcycling)shallbelaunched.
TRAFFIC AND MOBILITY
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

24 25
132. A tourism strategy shall be designed, as
required by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Act,
2019, and in conformity with the principles
presentedinthisUrbanPolicy.
133. City branding shall be implemented for ci es, to
convertloca onsintodes na ons.Avision,mission,
119. Special steps shall be taken to integrate various
transport op ons: for example, journeys involving
buses,trains,andsharedbikes.Severalmethodsthat
may be employed to this end are park and ride
facili es, bicycle storage capaci es on buses, and
cke ngsystemsthatalloweaseoftransferbetween
varioustransportop ons.
122. The private sector shall be mobilised to invest in
inter-city transport and regula ons shall be put in
placetoimprovethequalityofservice.
118. Public transport shall be improved and
revamped by providing dedicated bus lanes and bus
baysonmainroads
121. Public transport shall be given priority over
private vehicles. Bus terminals shall be maintained
and operated within urban centres or downtown
areas, and the shi ing of these to the peripheries of
thecityshallbedisincen vised.
123. Inter-city feeder routes of Peshawar Bus Rapid
Transit (BRT) shall be ini ated from Chamkani to
Mardan, Charsadda, Shabqadar, Nowshera, and
Kohat.
125. Female-only buses shall also be opera onal,
especiallyontheBRTroutes.
124. The number of buses on BRT Peshawar shall be
increasedbyatleast100%by2030.
a. Datashallbecollectedontheexis nginter-city
routes and the number of daily commuters in and
out of ci es, using the AI- and machine learning-
basedsystems.
120. The space available for women on public
transport (especially buses, coasters, minivans, and
pooled taxis) shall be increased by reserving 50%
capacityforfemales.
126. Gender sensi vity trainings shall be provided to
all BRT employees, including senior management
andsecurityguards³⁹.
Ÿ ⁴⁰- SFBe erStreets. (n.d.). A Guide to Making Street Improvements in San Francisco. Retrieved from s e erstreets.org:
h ps://www.s e erstreets.org/find-project-types/streetscape-elements/street-furniture-overview/sidewalk-trashcans/. This manual
provides standards and guidelines for public trash cans in San Francisco which here are adapted to the local context of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa'sci es.
Ÿ ³⁹- While it is important to include harassment in these trainings, the training content shall be more nuanced than this and shall focus on
reducing barriers caused due to discrimina on and bias. The end-goal shall be to inculcate mutual respect irrespec ve of gender. The
curriculum for these sessions shall be in conformity with interna onal standards, par cularly those of the United Na ons Educa onal,
Scien fic,andCulturalOrganiza on
134. Community-based tourism shall be promoted
by promo ng ac vi es and experiences that respect
localculturesandvalues.
brand name, logo, and slogan, as well as
ambassadors and the target audience, shall be
iden fiedforeachcity.
136. Indigenous foods in every district shall be
promoted.
135. Urban tourism shall be promoted by iden fying
tangible and intangible heritage in each city and
training local youth (male and female) as tourist
guides.
138. Cra spersons shall be trained on using modern,
cu ng-edge technology to gain the maximum
benefitfromtheirskillsandtalents.
142. Fair trade merchandise items, such as
gemstones and Pashtun truck art, shall be produced
and sold on an e-commerce pla orm, to represent
thePashtuncultureandheritage.
144. Mandatory standards, labelling, and collec ve
trademarks shall be launched through cer fica on
137. Intangible cultural heritage tourism shall be
promoted, such as Urs, folklore, music, art, sports
events,andfes vals.
140. Special focus shall be given to ar san classes
who are engaged in various cra s, such as Rabab-
making, shoe-making (Charsadda), and clothing
(Bannu). They shall be introduced to the outside
worldviae-commercepla orms.
141. Pashtun truck art shall be promoted as a brand
and a museum shall be constructed to trace the
evolu on and history of truck art, especially in the
CentralZone.
143. Annual exhibi ons shall be held for arts and
cra sfromallthreezones,includingmarke ngthese
arts and cra s at the domes c, na onal, and
interna onallevel.
139. Open workshop spaces shall be developed to
allow ar sans to prac se their techniques and for
visitorstowitnessthesefirst-hand.
programmes to improve the quality and
interna onalstandingofcra s.
146. Powerful branding and promo on of Bazaar-e-
MisgarannearKabulgateshallbeimplemented.
148. Pedestrian and double-decker bus tours shall be
provided by the Culture and Tourism Authority in the
oldci es,especiallyintheCentralZone.
147. Following the pa ern of the Walled City Lahore,
relevant authori es will work towards preserva on
oftheoldwalledcityofPeshawar.
145. The history of Peshawar as the oldest living city
in South Asia shall be echoed in future development.
The dynamic and localised building codes discussed
in this Policy shall be customised in heritage zones to
ensure new projects resemble tradi onal
architectureandfaçades.
154. Visitor accommoda on shall be provided in
exis ng local homes, i.e. it shall be allowed to
convert one or two rooms into guest rooms to
providetouristswithalocalexperience.
153. The architecture of hotels and other new
developments shall be in harmony with the local
culture,heritage,andsurroundingenvironment.
150. Historic educa onal ins tu ons in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa shall organise tours of their campuses
and the surrounding neighbourhood, to a ract
urbantourists.
149. Safe hygiene and health prac ces shall be
promotedinrela ontourbantourism.
151. Trash bins shall be provided at intervals of every
50 metres in ci es, including the Integrated Tourism
Zones iden fied as per the Tourism Act, to prevent
li ering⁴⁰.
155. The number of rooms across tourist
accommoda on/hotel shall number 30 to 50 units,
depending on the size of the Integrated Tourist Zone
orthenumberoftouristsinthecity.
152. Plas c disposables, such as spoons, straws, and
take-out containers in eateries, shall be replaced
with biodegradable products, and this shall be
strictlyenforcedinIntegratedTourismZones.
127. The BRT sta ons shall be transformed into
vibrant spaces by installing shopping stalls,
adver sements,andmarke ngbooths.
128. Provide a female and male public toilet, with
clearsignageateachBRTsta on.
130. Pink scooters that are ergonomically designed
forfemaleusersshallbesubsidised.
131. In smaller urban areas, rickshaws shall be
introducedtomakeiteasierforfemalestotravel.
129. Key inter-city railway transport systems will be
implementedby2030,whichwillincludetheGreater
Peshawar Circular Railway Project, connec ng the
urban centres of Peshawar, Nowshera, Swabi,
Mardan, Charsadda through Main Line-1, and the
Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Railway project by
connec ng planned industrial zones in D I Khan,
Kohat, Bannu and Lakki Marwat with urban centres
andMainLine-1.
TOURISM IN CITIES AND IN
THE NORTHERN ZONE
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

26 27
164. The performance indicators for municipal
services provided by City Local Governments and
Water and Sanita on Service Companies shall be
updated on a monthly basis and updated on
Performance Management & Reforms Unit's
dashboard. In addi on to other indicators, the
dashboard will showcase municipal revenues, public
investment and expenditures, and the coverage,
frequency,andqualityofmunicipalservices.
165. The Planning and Development Department
shall devise an equitable framework for the
alloca on of development funds for all ci es in the
province.
166. The Deputy Commissioner, Mayor of the City
Local Government, Chairman of Tehsil Local
Government, director of Local/Urban Development
Authori es, and CEO of the Cantonment Board(s),
shall jointly organise and hold regular monthly
consulta ve mee ngs with different public sector
stakeholders, private sector representa ves, and
community and civil society organisa ons to resolve
issuesrela ngtoimplementa onofthePolicy.
shallbedevelopedandimplemented.
167. The Urban Area Development Authori es and
local government ins tu ons shall generate
resources to finance their development ini a ves,
through the imposi on of rates, local taxes, and
be erment fees. The en es men oned above shall
u lise their powers to capture the value of
developedlandorimprovementincertainloca ons.
168. A data repository shall be created for each
government department involved in urban
development ma ers, which should be publicly
accessible.
169. Major investment and capacity upgrada on in
the informa on and valua on system shall be
ini ated to enable the Urban Immovable Property
Tax (UIPT) system to capture the increase in property
values. The valua on system shall be redesigned to
specify taxable values per unit of land and covered
areas in different zones of an urban area based on
c. Publish annual reports on the state of ci es in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which shall highlight the
statusoftheprovince'sci es.
a. Assume responsibility for implemen ng and
monitoring the Urban Policy. (It shall be
restructured and strengthened, so that it can
performthisrole.)
162. The Land Use and Building Control Authority
shalldothefollowing:
b. Lead technical research, surveys, studies, and
data analyses rela ng to urban ma ers . The
⁴¹
Unit shall access the Na onal Ins tute of Urban
Infrastructure Planning to augment its capacity
forresearchinurbandevelopment.
163. A mechanism to facilitate collabora on
between city governments and Cantonment Boards
d. In partnership with the Land Use and Building
Control Authority, Urban Areas Development
Authori es, and Housing Authority, jointly
develop a comprehensive GIS database for
efficient and uniform urban land record
documenta on across all suppliers of land and
housing, and other informa on related to urban
infrastructureandlanduse.
a. Car parking shall be provided in strategic
entry/exit points of Integrated Tourist Zones, in
partnershipwiththeprivatesector.
160. Adventure tourism shall be encouraged in the
NorthernandSouthernzones.
159. Investment shall be made in the digitalisa on of
tourismservicestoa ractandassisttourists.
a. The tourist accommoda on/hotel shall
provideparkingasperbuildingregula on.
158. A specialised Tourism Police shall be trained and
deployed at Integrated Tourist Zones to facilitate
tourism and to enforce relevant laws and
regula ons.
157. The Culture and Tourism Authority shall a ract
green investment in water and waste management
(such as bioswales), the maintenance of biodiversity,
andtheprotec onofculturalheritage.
156.Sustainabletravelshallbeenforced,par cularly
in the Integrated Tourist Zones, where motorised
traffic is not allowed, non-motorised transport is
encouraged, and only publicly provided shu le
servicesareallowed.
161. Training and skills development courses shall be
provided to business owners in the hotel industry,
specifically in the Northern Zone. These should be
aimed towards improving the quality and
sustainabilityoftheirenterprises.
Ÿ ⁴²-Abbas,A.,&Cheema,A.(2021).ReformingPropertyTaxinKhyberPakhtunkhwa.SEED.
Ÿ ⁴¹- Almost allpublic sector ins tu ons aremandated to conduct studies,surveys, experiments, and technicalresearch on issues rela ng to
urban areas, or to contribute towards the cost of such studies, surveys, experiments, or technical research undertaken by other
ins tu ons.Thisisprobablythemostneglectedareainthefunc onalassignmentofallen es.
a. The valua on tables, which report tax liability
perunitofpropertyandareimplicitlyaproductof
the property value and tax rate, should
dis nguishbetweenthetaxbaseandthetaxrate.
b. Periodic revalua on shall take place, i.e.
proper esshallbere-evaluatedeverytwoyears.
area-wise property values. The taxable value will be
adjusted within zones based on factors such as
accesstoroadsandqualityofconstruc on⁴².
e. A transparent and demonstrable link (using
technology pla orms) between tax payments
and tax expenditure shall be ensured, to
strengthenthismorale.
d. Efforts shall be made to magnify percep ons
of the fairness and equity of the tax system, to
boostthemoraleoftaxpayers.
f. The skills and number of the staff that assess
andcollectUIPTshallbeupgraded/increased.
c. The tax net shall be increased by elimina ng
tax exemp ons, taxing vacant plots, and
removingtaxpreferencesforowner-occupiers.
INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY
BUILDING
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Policy 2022–2030 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Policy 2022–2030 29
ANNEXURE 1
Ÿ ⁴³-Acityinthiscaseisan'urbanlocality',asspeciﬁedbythePakistanBureauofSta s cs,usuallyaMunicipalCommi eeorCorpora on.
THREE OPTIONS FOR THE LIST OF QUALIFYING CITIES UNDER THE URBAN POLICY, BY ZONE
Op on 1: 34 ci es⁴³ with a popula on greater than 40,000
NORTHERN ZONE
CITY DISTRICT DIVISION POPULATION
#
Mingora
Abbo abad
Mansehra
Kabal
Barikot
Haripur
Batkhela
Bahrain
Chitral
Khwazakhela
Khalabat
Dir
Ma a
Timargara
Swat
Abbo abad
Mansehra
Swat
Swat
Haripur
Malakand
Swat
Lower Chitral
Swat
Haripur
Upper Dir
Swat
Lower Dir
Malakand
Hazara
Hazara
Malakand
Malakand
Hazara
Malakand
Malakand
Malakand
Malakand
Hazara
Malakand
Malakand
Malakand
331,377
137,762
127,645
117,973
94,019
85,915
67,686
61,889
49,780
48,016
47,185
44,100
42,547
40,314
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
SOUTHERN ZONE
#
D.I. Khan
Kohat
Paharpur
Lakki Marwat
Karak
Hangu
Tank
Bannu
D.I. Khan
Kohat
D.I.Khan
Lakki Marwat
Karak
Hangu
Tank
Bannu
D.I. Khan
Kohat
D.I. Khan
Bannu
Kohat
Kohat
D.I. Khan
Bannu
212,324
191,836
66,745
59,273
51,086
48,801
47,064
41,632
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
CENTRAL ZONE
#
Peshawar
Mardan
Swabi
Charsadda
Shabqadar
Nowshera
Takht-i-Bahi
Jamrud
Pabbi
Jehangira
Topi
Tordher
Peshawar
Mardan
Swabi
Charsadda
Charsadda
Nowshera
Mardan
Khyber
Nowshera
Nowshera
Swabi
Swabi
Peshawar
Mardan
Mardan
Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar
Mardan
Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar
Mardan
Mardan
1,893,344
352,200
123,402
114,558
91,490
83,606
81,198
63,728
55,370
53,109
53,026
41,319
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
28
ANNEXURS
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

30 31
ANNEXURE 1 ANNEXURE 1
Ÿ ⁴⁵-Tehsilswiththehighestpopula onperdistrictareincludedinthislistfordistrictsthatarenotincludedintheformerselec on.
Ÿ ⁴⁴- Ci es showcased here include urban locali es with a popula on greater than 40,000 and the largest urban locali es for districts that
arenotincludedintheformerlist.
Op on 2: List of 44 ci es⁴⁴ and tehsils⁴⁵ with districts not covered by the former list
NORTHERN ZONE
CITY DISTRICT DIVISION URBAN POP.
#
Mingora
Abbo abad
Mansehra
Kabal
Barikot
Haripur
Batkhela
Bahrain
Chitral
Khwazakhela
Khalabat
Dir
Ma a
Timargara
Alpuri
Daggar
Mamund
Batagram
Palas
Swat
Abbo abad
Mansehra
Swat
Swat
Haripur
Malakand
Swat
Lower Chitral
Swat
Haripur
Upper Dir
Swat
Lower Dir
Shangla
Buner
Bajaur
Batagram
Kohistan
Malakand
Hazara
Hazara
Malakand
Malakand
Hazara
Malakand
Malakand
Malakand
Malakand
Hazara
Malakand
Malakand
Malakand
Malakand
Malakand
Malakand
Hazara
Hazara
331,377
137,762
127,645
117,973
94,019
85,915
67,686
61,889
49,780
48,016
47,185
44,100
42,547
40,314
-
-
-
-
-
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
SOUTHERN ZONE
#
D.I. Khan
Kohat
Paharpur
Lakki Marwat
Karak
Hangu
Tank
Bannu
Sadda
Miran Shah
Wana
Lower Tehsil
D.I. Khan
Kohat
D.I. Khan
Lakki Marwat
Karak
Hangu
Tank
Bannu
Kurram
N. Waziristan
S. Waziristan
Orakzai
D.I. Khan
Kohat
D.I. Khan
Bannu
Kohat
Kohat
D.I. Khan
Bannu
Kohat
Bannu
D. I. Khan
Kohat
212,324
191,836
66,745
59,273
51,086
48,801
47,064
41,632
32,543
4,364
-
-
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
CENTRAL ZONE
#
Peshawar
Mardan
Swabi
Charsadda
Shabqadar
Nowshera
Takht-i-Bahi
Jamrud
Pabbi
Jehangira
Topi
Tordher
Saﬃ
Peshawar
Mardan
Swabi
Charsadda
Charsadda
Nowshera
Mardan
Khyber
Nowshera
Nowshera
Swabi
Swabi
Mohmand
Peshawar
Mardan
Mardan
Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar
Mardan
Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar
Mardan
Mardan
Peshawar
1,893,344
352,200
123,402
114,558
91,490
83,606
81,198
63,728
55,370
53,109
53,026
41,319
--
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Op on 3: List of tehsils with Neighbourhood Councils (NCs) (urban)
NORTHERN ZONE
TEHSIL DISTRICT NC COUNT %NC
#
Babozai
Batkhela
Kabal
Ba agram
Dargai
Mansehra
Dir
Samarbagh
Ghazi
Timergara
Haripur
Bahrain
Chitral
Adenzai
Darband
Barikot
Charbagh
Judbah
Khar
Abbo abad
Balakot
Havelian
Barawal
Khwaza Khela
Seo
Baﬀa Pakhal
Ma a Shamozi
Oghi
Balambat
Wari
Nawagai
Swat
Malakand
Swat
Ba agram
Malakand
Mansehra
Dir Upper
Dir Lower
Haripur
Dir Lower
Haripur
Swat
Chitral Lower
Dir Lower
Mansehra
Swat
Swat
Torghar
Bajaur
Abbo abad
Mansehra
Abbo abad
Dir Upper
Swat
Kohistan Upper
Mansehra
Swat
Mansehra
Dir Lower
Dir Upper
Bajaur
25
9
9
11
6
11
3
5
5
5
20
3
5
5
1
2
1
1
6
11
4
3
1
2
1
3
2
1
1
1
1
51%
27%
23%
21%
19%
18%
18%
17%
17%
17%
16%
14%
13%
13%
13%
12%
9%
9%
9%
8%
8%
8%
8%
7%
6%
6%
4%
4%
3%
3%
2%
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
Topi
Nowshera
Upper Mohmand
Central Mohmand
Charsadda
Landi Kotal
Lahor
Takht Bhai
Chamkani
Tangi
Pabbi
Lower Mohmand
Pishtakhara
Bara
Shah Alam
Razar
Mathra
Swabi
Nowshera
Mohmand
Mohmand
Charsadda
Khyber
Swabi
Mardan
Peshawar
Charsadda
Nowshera
Mohmand
Peshawar
Khyber
Peshawar
Swabi
Peshawar
6
11
4
1
11
5
4
6
4
3
4
2
2
4
2
2
1
19%
18%
17%
14%
14%
14%
14%
11%
9%
8%
8%
6%
6%
5%
5%
3%
2%
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
SOUTHERN ZONE
#
Lower Kurram
Kulachi
D.I. Khan
Wana
Kohat
Lachi
Hangu
Upper Kurram
Thall
Darra Adam Khel
Tank
Karak
Serai Naurang
Daraban
Lakki Marwat
Upper Orakzai
Miranshah
Razmak
Paharpur
Bannu
Darazinda
Lower Orakzai
Mirali
Paroa
Kurram
D.I.Khan
D.I.Khan
South Waziristan
Kohat
Kohat
Hangu
Kurram
Hangu
Kohat
Tank
Karak
Lakki Marwat
D.I.Khan
Lakki Marwat
Orakzai
North Waziristan
North Waziristan
D.I.Khan
Bannu
D.I.Khan
Orakzai
North Waziristan
D.I.Khan
7
6
22
15
16
4
7
7
5
3
11
4
3
2
4
3
3
1
4
5
1
1
2
1
39%
35%
34%
31%
30%
22%
19%
19%
19%
19%
16%
15%
13%
11%
11%
10%
10%
9%
9%
8%
8%
6%
5%
3%
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
CENTRAL ZONE
#
City
Mardan
Swabi
Jamrud
Katlang
Jehangira
Shabqadar
Peshawar
Mardan
Swabi
Khyber
Mardan
Nowshera
Charsadda
121
39
15
8
8
9
6
93%
43%
37%
25%
25%
24%
19%
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

# Subject/activity Institutional responsibility for
implementation/enforcement
1 Approval of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban
Policy, including its scope, vision, principles,
goals, indicators,cross -cuttingthemes,andthe
application of the Policy.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Land Use and Building
Control Council, under section 4 (b) of the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Land Use and Building Control Act,
2021.
2 Revision, upgradation, and consolidation of
land use, building control, and zoning rules,
regulations, standing orders, and instructional
circulars in conformity with the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Urban Policy, and their
codification in a single volume.
Control Authority.
3 Communication, coo rdination, supervision,
oversight, and follow -up on implementation of
the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Policy.
The Directorate General of the Land Use and
Building Control Authority through Urban Policy
and Planning Unit.
4 Conducting technical research, sur veys,
studies, and data analyses on urban matters in
the province.
Urban Policy and Planning Unit.
5 Preparation and publication of annual report
on the ‘State of Cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’.
Urban Policy and Planning Unit.
6 Developing and publicising a performance
dashboard for municipal services provided by
City Local Governments, Tehsil Local
Governments, and Water and Sanitation
Services Companies.
Governments, and Water and Sanitation Services
Companies, for their respective jurisdictions.
Strategic city management, coordination, and land use planning
7 Development of SCMPs identifying key
challenges, proposing sustainable solutions,
and prioritising interventions in the following
areas/sectors: (i) urban governance and
organisational effectiveness; (ii) land use
planning and sustainable mobility; (iii) safe and
inclusive urban design; (iv) local economic
development; (v) environmental sustainability;
(vi) financialstability; (vii); revenuegenerati on;
and (viii) communication and outreach.
Deputy Commissioner of the respective district, in
consultation with all stakeholders and through a
meaningful participatory process of public
engagement.
32 33
IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK FOR KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA URBAN POLICY
In this annexure, every prescrip on of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Policy is condensed into an ac vity. In the
table, these ac vi es are placed in a sequence and the statutory/regulatory mandate for them is indicated, as is the
respec ve public sector ins tu on that is responsible for implementa on, enforcement, monitoring, and oversight
oftheac vi es.
8 Regular monthly meetings to review city -level
governance, infrastructure planning, and
unified service delivery.
Respective Deputy Commissioners.
9 Regular monthly consultative meetings to
address issuesof public interest inurban areas.
All Mayors of City Local Governments and
Chairmen of respective Tehsil Local Governments.
10 Quarterly review of implementation of SCMPs. Deputy Commissioner of the respective district.
11 Bi-annual review and evaluation of the
implementation and impact of interventions
proposed in SCMPs, and course correction.
Control Authority.
12 Annual review of implementation of the Urban
Policy and SCMPs.
Control Council.
13 Incorporation and circulation of guidelines for
land use and floor area planning.
Control Authority.
Affordable housing, housing societie s, condominiums and building codes
14 Revision of private housing scheme rules and
regulations to incentivise mixed -use
development and low -cost housing in urban
areas.
Control Authority, in consultation with the Local
Government, Elections, and Rural Development
Department.
15 Provision of tax rebates to incentivise mixed -
use development and low -cost housing.
The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
16 Launching of the ‘Loans for Housing and
Businesses in Cities Scheme’ to provide
housingandbusiness loansto different groups,
such as shop owners, project employees, and
women in cities.
The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
17 Incorporation in building plans of mandatory
provision of rainwater harvesting tanks in
houses in cities.
Local Government, Elections and Rural
Development Department.
Local and Urban Area Development Authorities.
18 Integrating the impact of vehicular emissions
and traffic congestion caused, among other
potential environmental, social, and health
effects of housing development societies, in
EIAs.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Environmental
Protection Agency.
19 Mandating all housing societies to present
complete proposals on reducing, reusing and
recycling solid waste at a rate of 85%, together
with their applications for approval. Approval
such be linked to the viability of these
proposals.
Local Government, Elections, and Rural
Development Department and the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Agency.
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

34 35
ANNEXURE 2
Economic and real estate development
27 Specifying a time limit of three years after
purchase for the development of residential
and commercial plots, and the imposition of a
higher transfer fee and higher taxes on the sale
and transfer of plots more than three times.
Control Authority, through incorporation of the
provision in the land use plans and regulatory
instruments on non
-user charges.
28 Analysis of manufacturing and services
industrial trends and supply/demand side of
job markets, and their segregation by gender.
The Bureau of Statistics, by incorporating the
provision in the format of its compilation of
Annual Development Statistics.
29 Adjustment of the land use patternsin urban
areas and the skillsets of students in
accordance with the trends in manufacturing
and services industries and the supply/demand
side of job markets, with a special focus on
marginalised groups, to expand social and
economic opportunities.
The District Land Use and Planning Management
Committee of the respective districts constituted
under section (13) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Land Use and Building Control Act, 2021.
30 Improving the quality, availability, and
connectivity of the internet servi
ce in cities.
Promoting information technology and
overseeing the establishment of information
technology parks in urban areas.
Science and Technology and Information
Technology Department, through coordination
with the public and private sector.
31 Designing initiatives to promote women
entrepreneurs and technology firms through
shared working spaces. Piloting the concept in
local and urban Development Authorities.
The respective Deputy Commissioner, Mayor of
City Local Government, Chairman of TehsilLocal
Government, and director of the respective
Local/Urban Development Authority, in
coordination with the Women Development
Department.
32 Linking startups with the financial sector and
facilitating their access to financial schemes.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and
Trade.
33 Repurposing underutilised government
buildings or land as technology spaces and
bazars for youth and women. Organising shop
galleries, showcases, and popups (with both
permanent and temporary space options) for
women entrepreneurs and small
- and
medium-scale businesses.
City Local Government, or Chairperson of Tehsil
Local Government.
34 Establishment of separate markets (at least
one in every city) for women only, that are
managed solely by women, where small
-scale
vendors can rent stalls at a minimal price.
the City Local Government, or Chairperson of the
Tehsil Local Government, in coordination with the
Women Development Depart
ment.
ANNEXURE 2
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
20 Mandate all housing societies to provide
compulsory public transport from and to
commercial hubs at a minimum standard of
one standard bus for 125 housing units
operating three times a day.
Development Department and Transport and
Mass Transit Department, through
Regional/District Transport Authorities.
21 Obligating all housing societies, including local
and urban area Development Authorities, to
install bio -composting pits.
Development Department.
22 Obligating all housing societies, including local
and urban area development authorities, to
develop at least one wastewater treatment
plant.
Development Depa rtment.
23 Drafting condominium law and drafting zone -
specificrules,includingregulationsforthejoint
insurance of buildings and bylaws relating to
maintenance, cleanliness, renovation, and
security.
Control Authority, through the Local Government,
Elections and Rural Development Department.
24 Ensuring background checks and police
verification of guests and tenants take place
through effective enforcement of the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Hotels Restriction (Secu rity) Act,
2014, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rented
Buildings (Security) Act, 2014, and the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Sensitive and Vulnerable
Establishment and Places (Security) Act, 2015,
in all urban areas.
Deputy Commissioners and District Police Officers
of the respective districts.
25 Specifying city -specific types of materials,
colours, and architectural designs that can be
utilised in the elevation or façades, to
safeguard the image and character of cities.
The introduction of sustainable building
methods and materials for housing and
commercial buildings, and formalising
standards on such methods and materials in
city building codes.
Control Authority.
26 Enforcement of city building codes. Authorities responsible for approving building
plans in urban areas.

36 37
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Department
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
35 Training women in digital literacy to hone their
skills relating to home -based
entrepreneurship, and optimising their
business processes.
the City Local Government, or Chairperson of
Tehsil Local Government, in coordination with the
Women Development Department.
36 Promoting and encourage circular economy by
providing tax rebates to businesses that
recycle, reuse, refurbish, and remanufacture
waste (or by -products) in large quantities .
Protection Agency, in coordination with Industries
Department and respective Chambers of
Commerce and Industry.
37 Encouraging producers and manufacturers to
embrace the principles of circular economy
through the establishment of design standards
and norms, in collaboration with stakeholders.
Protection Agency, in coordination with Industries
Department and respective Chambers of
Commerce and Industry.
38 Regular inspections of food outlets, including
small-scalestreetvendors,tomaintainhygiene
standards.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal
Food Authority.
39 Simplifying, consolidating, and expanding the
system of online payments of taxes, fees,
charges, tolls, and other government dues.
The Finance Department, in consultation with the
Excise and Taxation Department, Board of
Revenue, Local Government Department, and
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority.
40 Organising regular monthly meetings with
business sector representatives to resolve
their concerns and problems relating to urban
management and following up with respective
departments and public sector institutions.
Respective Deputy Commissioner, Mayor of City
Local Government, or Chairman of Tehsil Local
Government.
Municipal services and liveability
41 Preparation of project proposals for tapping
into the funds under sustainable cities
programmes provided by the Green Climate
Fund and Global Environment Facility,
especially for Peshawar and Mingora.
The Forestry, Environment and Wildlife
Department and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Environmental Protection Agency.
42 Monitoring air quality and publication of the
results.
43 Installation of low -cost air monitors and at
least one reference -grade sensor at various
locations in each city.
44 Periodic testing and monitoring of the quality
of drinking water provided by different service
providers.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Water Resources
Regulatory Authority, established under the
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Water Act 2020.
45 Imposition of fines and penalties on service
providersforthesupplyofunfitdrinkingwater.
Regulatory Authority, established under the
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Water Act 2020.
46 Regular monthly cleaning of community water
tanks.
Respective water service providers in the cities.
47 Monitoring and regulation of solid waste
disposal and recy cling.
Protection Agency.
48 Conservation and redistribution of ground and
surface water resources and their allocation
for domestic, agricultural, ecological,
industrial, and other purposes, and securing
proper use of water resources.
Commission, established under section (3) of the
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Water Act, 2020.
49 Discouraging ground water extraction for bulk
water users, such as car service stations or
workshops and heavy water -based industries.
Regulatory Authority, constituted under section
(7) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Water Act, 2020,
through imposition of requisite tariffs and fees.
50 Designingandbuildingpermeablesurfa cesand
other mechanisms for the collection of
stormwater runoff to recharge the
underground water table and aquifers.
The IrrigationDepartment, Government of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa.
51 Ensuring rainwater harvesting apparatus are
included in new building des igns for the
collection and storage of rainwater in
underground water tanks.
Control Authority.
52 Expanding the opportunities for private sector
entities to engage in delivery of public services
through perfor mance contracts.
53 Upgrading water and sewage infrastructure to
meet the demands of the prevailing activities
in every city.
Governments, and Water and Sanitation Services
Companies.
54 Establishing a municipal policing system for
imposing fines for violations of water and
sanitation services standards and
prescriptions.
Regulatory Authority and other w ater and
sanitation service providers, includin g the Water
and Sanitation Services Companies.
55 Regulating the water and sanitation services
sector to ensure the recovery of the actual
costs of these services on the basis of actual
consumption, and the elimination of subsidies.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhw a Water Resources
Regulatory Authority and other w ater and
sanitation service providers, including the Water
and Sanitation Services Companies.

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