KABUL (Pajhwok): Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhund has approved proposals aimed at addressing homelessness in cities and surrounding areas, particularly meeting the needs of returning migrants and regulating construction activities.
A letter from the Administrative Deputy Office states that, in line with verbal directives of the Council of Ministers and after discussions with several ministers and mayors, the proposals were finalised to streamline municipal affairs and address homelessness.
Under the proposals, municipalities are required to take necessary measures, in accordance with relevant plans and regulations, to prepare land for individuals intending to carry out construction projects.
Urgent steps are also outlined to address homelessness and migrant-related housing needs as follows:
- The Department of Land Affairs shall, within one month, prepare cadastral maps and lists of government-owned land plots within city boundaries and submit them, along with relevant reports, to municipalities.
- Municipalities are obliged to identify, within one month, vacant urban areas where construction is not permitted due to valid reasons (such as flood routes, historical sites, and other restricted areas under urban plans).
- In major cities, including Kabul, in areas where plans exist but have not been implemented, construction permission may be granted—based on sharia deeds, tax documents, transaction records, or customary documents—after verification by a mosque imam, two neighbors, and a local representative, under the following conditions:
The applicant must provide a written commitment that they will not claim compensation if future urban plans require compliance with planning standards.
b. The building must be for residential use only, with a maximum of three floors and no basement.
c. The site must not fall within roads or restricted areas under urban plans. - Such construction permits shall not serve as proof of ownership.
- In cities and areas without urban plans, municipalities may grant construction permission under similar documentation and verification requirements, provided the land is not in a restricted zone.
- The Kabul New City project is exempt from these provisions.
- The Ministry of Interior has been instructed to direct provincial and district police not to interfere in construction activities without a request from municipalities and to coordinate with relevant municipal offices.
Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), told Pajhwok that the proposals have been approved by the Prime Minister.
kk/sa
