The Peshawar district administration has begun demarcating Peshawar University Road encroachments ahead of a clearance operation to reopen both sides of the busy road and ease traffic. The work is under way under Peshawar Division Commissioner Khalid Mahmood, in line with provincial government directives.
Officials will launch the operation once demarcation is complete, removing encroachments on both sides, widening the road, helping its reconstruction and clearing the obstacles that slow traffic. Both sides will then reopen, giving commuters better access and cutting congestion.
University Road is one of the city’s major arteries, and encroachments have frequently disrupted traffic along it. It carries traffic past the University of Peshawar, Islamia College, Board Bazaar and University Town, and the Zu Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit service runs along it.
Peshawar University Road encroachments to be removed
The operation will target illegal structures and other encroachments on both sides of the road. The administration has not named the stretches where work will start, or a date for the operation itself. Demarcation will fix the line between legal buildings and illegal occupation, so teams know what to remove.
Commissioner Khalid Mahmood said the administration was continuing its efforts to improve civic facilities, ensure the permanent removal of encroachments and streamline the city’s traffic system. The stress on permanent removal matters, because past drives have cleared roads only for stalls to return within weeks.
The clearance is also meant to support reconstruction. Once both sides are clear, the administration says traffic will move more freely and the road can be rebuilt to its full width. For the students, traders and office workers who use the road daily, the test will be whether it stays clear after the operation ends.
A road that carries the whole city
University Road has been a traffic headache for years. It links the cantonment and Saddar with Hayatabad and the campus, passing busy points such as Board Bazaar and the stops outside Islamia College and the University of Peshawar. Shops, stalls and parked vehicles eat into the carriageway, slowing traffic for most of the day.
The Bus Rapid Transit line runs along the road, adding to the pressure. In February 2025, the chief minister ordered BRT staircases moved from seven points on University Road, including Board Bazaar, Islamia College, the University of Peshawar and University Town, because they had cut the three-lane road to two lanes.
Encroachments narrow the road, traffic slows, and the administration launches a drive. This time the stated aim is permanent removal, backed by demarcation that sets a clear line for enforcement.
Part of a wider enforcement drive
The University Road operation is not a one-off drive. On 23 October 2026, Commissioner Khalid Mahmood ordered strict enforcement of right-of-way rules and building bylaws across the division, with action against encroachments on Warsak, Charsadda and Kohat roads. Departments were told to stop encroachments returning after clearance, protect recovered land and submit a compliance report within seven days.
That order set the pattern: mark first, then clear, then keep the recovered space clear. The commissioner chaired the meeting with Deputy Commissioner Afaq Wazir and officials of the Peshawar Development Authority, the Pakhtunkhwa Highways Authority and tehsil municipal administrations.
The push comes as the provincial government faces pressure over civic services in the capital. Hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are struggling after years of PTI rule, municipal bodies have sought salary grants to keep staff paid, and universities in the province face a deficit of Rs56 billion. The road clearance is a visible step, and its success will be judged on the street.
Security also shapes how the city is run. Three people were abducted from a police post in Hangu in a recent attack, and a Nadra official was caught on CCTV in Hayatabad in a separate case. Holding the cleared ground will depend on the same follow-through. Dawn first reported the demarcation work.
What happens next
The operation will start once demarcation is complete, but the administration has not given a date. Traders and shopkeepers with structures on the road margins should expect notices as the marking work moves along the road, and the removal will cover both sides.
The real test comes after the operation. The commissioner has promised permanent removal and a streamlined traffic system, and the October orders told departments to protect recovered land and stop encroachments returning. If the road is cleared and kept clear, commuters will see shorter journeys. If the stalls return, University Road will be back where it started.
Frequently asked questions
What has started on University Road in Peshawar?
The district administration has begun demarcating encroachments along University Road, marking illegal structures on both sides ahead of a major clearance operation.
Who is supervising the operation?
Peshawar Division Commissioner Khalid Mahmood, acting in line with provincial government directives.
What will the clearance operation remove?
It will remove illegal structures and other encroachments on both sides of University Road, so the road can be widened, rebuilt and reopened to traffic.
Why is University Road being cleared?
Encroachments have frequently disrupted traffic on a major artery. The clearance aims to improve traffic flow, support reconstruction and give commuters better access.
Has Peshawar tried to clear encroachments before?
Yes. In February 2025, the chief minister ordered BRT staircases moved from seven points on the road, and in October 2026 the commissioner ordered enforcement on Warsak, Charsadda and Kohat roads.
