Rural-urban migration

Letter April 15, 2012
There are many benefits of rural to urban migration for migrants’ lives.

FREMONT, CA, US: This is with reference to Ahmad Rafay Alam’s article of April 12 titled “Capturing our urban economic potential”.

Rapid migration of people in Pakistan from rural to urban areas is causing massive increases in urban populations, creating more and larger urban slums, increasing the potential for environmental deterioration, and bringing tremendous pressures on city services already strained beyond limits. However, there are many benefits of rural to urban migration for migrants’ lives, including reduction in abject poverty, empowerment of women, increased access to healthcare and education and other services. Historically, cities have been driving forces in economic and social development. As centres of industry and commerce, cities have long been centers of wealth and power.


Riaz Haq


Published in The Express Tribune, April 16th, 2012.