Pakistan, Nov. 9 -- For years, walking through the crowded streets and historic bazaars of Peshawar had become a daily test of patience for thousands of residents, shoppers, pedestrians and motorists, as unchecked encroachments gradually swallowed footpaths, narrowed roads and turned once-accessible commercial centres into congested passageways.

What should have been a short walk to a nearby shop at Qisakhwani and Khyber bazaars often meant squeezing through narrow spaces, navigating roadside stalls and avoiding fast-moving vehicles. For elderly citizens, women carrying children, persons with disabilities and school-going students on Warsak Road, the situation was even more difficult, as many were forced to share busy roads with motorist...