KARACHI:
As Pakistan grapples with rapid population growth, urban congestion and mounting administrative challenges, public discourse has increasingly centred on the creation of new provinces, districts and administrative units. While such measures may offer temporary administrative relief, they do not address the core issue i.e. the unsustainable concentration of population in already overburdened cities. A more strategic and future-oriented solution lies in the creation of new cities, a model successfully adopted by several developed nations, particularly the US and the UK.
Pakistan’s major urban centres are stretched beyond capacity. Infrastructure, housing, healthcare, transport and basic civic services are under immense strain. At the same time, many rural villages are transforming into unplanned urban settlements. The organic but unmanaged urbanisation has led to congestion, environmental degradation and governance failures.
In contrast, countries like the US have long pursued planned urban expansion as a tool for economic growth and population management. Numerous cities and towns have been developed or revitalised. Citizens are actively encouraged to relocate to less populated or remote areas through lower tax rates, affordable housing, employment incentives, modern infrastructure and full access to public services.
Similarly, the UK has implemented the concept of ‘New Towns’, particularly after World War II, to ease overcrowding in cities like London. These towns were carefully planned with housing, industry, transport networks, healthcare and education facilities integrated from the outset. More recently, regeneration projects and regional development incentives have been used to revive underdeveloped areas, encouraging population redistribution while maintaining quality of life.
The key lesson for Pakistan is clear: population should be managed through opportunity, not compulsion. Instead of repeatedly redrawing administrative boundaries, the state should identify underutilised and remote regions, such as parts of Thar, Balochistan and southern Punjab, and invest in building entirely new, well-planned cities. By offering tax relief, employment opportunities, modern infrastructure and social services, people can be motivated to move voluntarily.
Such an approach would yield multiple benefits. It would reduce congestion in existing cities, create new economic hubs, improve governance efficiency and strengthen national integration. More importantly, it would transform remote areas into productive regions rather than leaving them marginalised.
In the long run, nation-building is not achieved by multiplying administrative units, but by creating livable, functional and economically viable cities.
Qazi Fahad Ahmed
Karachi
