PESHAWAR: The residents of University Town in the provincial capital on Thursday protested the growing commercial activities in their residential locality and demanded the administration crack down on those violating the bylaws despite the court’s orders.

They warned they would agitate if the demand was not met.

The warning was issued by Town Residents Committee general secretary Ayesha Bano and vice president Memoona Noor and lawyer Majeed Khan during a news conference here at the University Town Club.

Dozens of people from the locality were also present on the occasion.

Ayesha Bano said the University Town, a residential area, had a number of commercial offices, including those of UN agencies, international and national NGOs, international aid agencies, private schools and universities.

“We will agitate if the government doesn’t check the growing commercialisation of the University Town to the misery of the local residents,” she said.

The committee’s general secretary said the areas housing private schools and universities turned out to be a mess in the morning and afternoon.

She said the residents, especially women and children, struggled to move around the town mainly during peak hours.

Memoona Noor said in March 2015, the Peshawar High Court had given a verdict against commercial activities in the residential area but the administration had failed to comply with the verdict.

“The commercial organisations were given four months to move their offices out of the University Town but the order has yet to be complied with,” she said.

She also complained the CCTV cameras installed around the offices of aid agencies breached the privacy of local residents.

Majeed Khan said the administration had formed a committee to look into the issue.

He asked the committee to come up with feasible options to convert some portions of the town into commercial centres and end unrest among the people.

He warned the people would agitate if their grievances were not effectively addressed.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2016