The future of Pakistan’s urban centers and the millions who live in them depends on bold, coordinated action. If we wait any longer, chaos may become the new normal.
By Ali Nawaz Rahimoo
The skyline of Pakistan’s cities is changing and not for the better. What once were quiet residential neighborhoods now buzz with the noise of traffic, commerce, and construction. In cities like Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Faisalabad, corner shops have turned into plazas, and homes into high-rises. But behind this rapid transformation lies a story not of progress, but of a deep-rooted governance failure.
Over the past two decades, Pakistan’s urban population has exploded. In 1998, just under a third of the population lived in cities. By 2023, that figure had surged to over 39%, and projections by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics suggest it will reach nearly 50% by 2050. With this surge has come an avalanche of pressure on roads, water, housing, and institutions that were never designed to cope at this scale Rather than prepare, city administrations have often improvised and poorly. Residential areas have been casually converted to commercial use. Entire streets have transformed overnight, without formal approvals or environmental assessments. The result: unplanned commercialization that is not just reshaping cityscapes, but eroding the very fabric of urban life.
In Lahore, more than 30% of commercial properties violate zoning laws, according to a 2022 report by the Urban Unit Punjab. In Karachi, the figure is even more alarming over 40% of newly built commercial high-rises are in breach of building codes. And yet, the violations continue, enabled by weak oversight and a maze of overlapping authorities.
In some cities, as many as five separate development authorities to cantonment boards have jurisdiction over land use and construction. Each with its own rules. Each often working at cross-purposes with the other. This bureaucratic tangle not only delays decisions but also opens doors to corruption, loopholes, and backdoor deals.
The demand for commercial space is undeniable. Pakistan’s economy is diversifying, its consumer base is growing, and real estate is booming. The construction sector now accounts for about 2.5% of GDP and employs more than 7.5% of the national workforce, according to the State Bank of Pakistan. But much of this growth is occurring in legal grey zones — areas where zoning laws are outdated or simply ignored.
Take Lahore, for instance. The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has issued over 12,000 commercialization permits in just five years. But thousands more businesses operate without them. These illegal developments put extraordinary strain on civic infrastructure from clogged sewers to crumbling roads, water shortages, and uncollected garbage.
And it’s not just the big cities under pressure.
Smaller cities like Sahiwal, Gujrat, Bahawalpur, and Abbottabad are also growing fast but without the tools or resources to manage it. The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) estimates that urban sprawl in these secondary cities is swallowing agricultural land at a rate of 1.5% per year. If unchecked, they too will mirror the chaos of their larger cousins, losing both their character and capacity to sustain growth.
Efforts have been made. Policies like the Punjab Commercialization Policy (2001–2020) were introduced to regulate land-use changes. Some provinces have issued zoning regulations and tried to modernize their planning systems. But these attempts often falter trapped between two conflicting goals: regulating development, and generating revenue. When planning departments become more focused on income than impact, the public interest suffers.
Worse still, building by-laws are often undermined by the very institutions meant to uphold them. Development authorities and local governments clash, overlap, or simply look the other way. Accountability is rare. Transparency, even rarer.
So, where do we go from here?
Pakistan urgently needs a unified and modern approach to urban planning. A single, comprehensive Urban Planning Act replacing the patchwork of outdated laws could streamline policy, clarify institutional roles, and close the loopholes that allow unplanned commercialization to thrive.
It’s time to build smarter, not just faster. Modern zoning must be based on real-time data. Enforcement must go digital, reducing room for manipulation. Public-private partnerships can help deliver housing and transport solutions that are both efficient and sustainable. But beyond the technical fixes, cities must listen to their people. Community engagement is key to designing neighborhoods that reflect local needs, not just market forces. After all, a city isn’t just a collection of buildings it’s a space for life, work, and connection.
Unplanned commercialization isn’t just a matter of aesthetics or infrastructure. It’s a sign that the system isn’t working. Without serious reform, Pakistan’s cities risk becoming victims of their own growth unlivable, unequal, and unsustainable. The time for incremental fixes is over. The future of Pakistan’s urban centers and the millions who live in them depends on bold, coordinated action. If we wait any longer, chaos may become the new normal.
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Ali Nawaz Rahimoo, based in Umerkot, Sindh is a social development professional. He can be contacted on anrahimoo@gmail.com
