PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) workers spent a tense day at the party’s provincial secretariat here on Wednesday amid reports that parts of the complex could be demolished during an ongoing anti-encroachment campaign.

In the morning, a large number of volunteers from the JUI-F’s security wing, Ansarul Islam, arrived at Mufti Mehmood Markaz on Ring Road, where an anti-encroachment operation is under way. A large number of other party workers also gathered at the secretariat.

However, JUI-F Khyber Pakhtunkhwa information secretary Abdul Jalil Jan told Dawn that authorities had assured the party that no adverse action would be taken against its secretariat.

He said the party had received no notice from the Peshawar Development Authority regarding the removal of the alleged encroachments.

Leader insists authorities have promised not to take any ‘adverse action’

Mr Jan said that workers had gathered at the complex after demolition reports circulated on social and mainstream media.

When contacted, an official of the district administration refused to comment on Mr Jan’s claim that the party had received assurances against action.

A PDA official was also approached over the phone but he neither took calls nor responded to text messages.

Later in the day, JUI-F provincial emir Senator Maulana Attaur Rehman addressed party workers at Mufti Mehmood Markaz and said the anticipated action was a “pressure tactic by authorities to force the party into toeing their line”.

He said that after learning of the possible action against the party’s provincial headquarters, he had asked the head of Ansarul Islam to call in personnel from the Peshawar and Charsadda chapters to ensure they’re not caught off guard.

Mr Rehman said the party had informed authorities that it had closed the Service Road in front of the secretariat for security reasons, including protecting JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman.

He added that whenever the party chief visited the city, authorities increased the police’s deployment at the Markaz.

The JUI-F leader challenged the governor to clear encroachments along the Khyber Road, alleging that they blocked nearly half of the road.

“I am sure that you can’t even lift an eye towards the Khyber Road encroachments,” he said.

Mr Rehman warned that demolishing any part of the secretariat complex would jeopardise the security of the JUI-F chief.

About a possible demolition notice, he said the party had not received one so far. “Though I heard they have issued such a notice today but we have yet to receive it,” he said.

The JUI-F leader added that the party wouldn’t be deterred by such a notice and would protect its secretariat at all costs.

A major anti-encroachment campaign has been under way in several parts of Peshawar since the imposition of an emergency in the province.

The district administration said on Tuesday that 560 structures had been demolished across the provincial capital since the operation began.

On Wednesday, the district administration said most encroachments along the stretch of the Circular Road between Ramdas Chowk and Asia Gate had been removed.

In a statement, it said the operation was meant to clear the road and adjoining areas of encroachments and remove hurdles to traffic.

The administration said the encroachments inconvenienced road users and disrupted traffic.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2026