100 illegal factories in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: Upward to a 100 unauthorised industrial units and factories are operating in the residential areas of Peshawar, according to a report by the city administration.

The majority of these units are manufacturing cotton yarn or are occupied by shoemakers who specialise in Peshawari chappals, states the unreleased report, seen by Geo.TV. None are registered, and few follow the guidelines of the provincial government for the use of industrial space. “These factory owners want to avoid paying taxes,” explains Wajid Shah, a professor at the Peshawar University, “by operating outside the law.”

In the last five years, Peshawar has seen an unrestricted influx of factories. The illegal industrial activity is polluting the city environment as well as put the lives of people, who live nearby, at risk, say health experts. Solid waste is not properly managed and is instead tossed out in the open, leading to the spread of infectious diseases. “The number of patients we receive, who complain of lung and throat infections or of skin allergies has gone up in recent days,” Dr Akhter Ali Shah, who runs a private clinic, tells Geo. TV.

At other times factory owners employ under-age children, flouting labour laws.

Last week, police raided and shut down seven illegal factories in the Hastnagri, Kachi Muhalla and Ghanta Ghar area of the city. These buildings were being used to produce substandard alcoholic drinks.

City residents complain that law enforcement officials often look the other way for a small stipend. “There is a lot of concern about these units,” admits Sajid Khan, the Public Relation Officer of the District Administration Peshawar, “But we can’t seal every single factory. Some of these owners have the support of local elders or other influential people."