PESHAWAR: The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Friday urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to implement the safe city project to overcome the growing security, traffic and encroachment issues.

The demand was made by the SCCI leaders during a meeting with Peshawar deputy commissioner retired Captain Sarmad Saleem Akram and SSP (operations) Masood Bangash here at the Chamber House on Friday.

On the occasion, SCCI president Fazal Moqeem Khan urged authorities to make business-friendly policies and take proactive steps to ease doing business and facilitate the business community.

He said that the initiatives creating a gulf between the business community, local administration, police department and other authorities should be avoided.

The SCCI president said it was direly needed to implement a comprehensive plan for traffic management, cleanliness and building close liaison and coordination between district administration and police department.

He highlighted concerns of traders about increasing incidents of crimes, snatching of cash and goods at gunpoint, robbery, traffic mess and poor cleanliness in the city, imposition of tax on billboards, encroachments, and mushroom growth of illegal petrol stations, drug dealers and other issues.

DC Sarmad Saleem Akram and SSP Masood Bangash assured traders that steps would be taken to improve law and order situation and traffic system, provide the business community with a secure and peaceful atmosphere to work, make policies in consultation with the chamber, dismantle illegal structures, and resolve other issues.

The deputy commissioner said that a comprehensive traffic management plan was ready and a briefing would be given to traders about it in the next few days. He said district administration was keen to provide all facilities and relief at every level.

The meeting was attended by SCCI senior vice-president Abdul Jalil Jan and vice-president Shehryar Khan, chairman of the chamber’s standing committee on law and order Shaukat Ali Khan, former presidents Fuad Ishaq, Zulfiqar Ali Khan, Faiz Mohammad Faizi and Maqsood Anwar Pervez, former SVP Sanaullah Khan, ex-vice presidents Shuja Mohammad, Javed Akhtar, SCCI Secretary General Muqtasid Ahsan, members of the executive committee, traders, and industrialists.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2025