Running head: EXPLORATION OF URBANIZATION IN PAKISTAN

Exploration of Urbanization in Pakistan

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Exploration of Urbanization in Pakistan

Introduction

Pakistan is a multiethnic and populous country found in South Asia. The state had

culturally and historically being predominantly composed of Indo-Iranian speakers, and this has

resulted in closer ties between Pakistan and her neighbors Afghanistan, Iraq, and India

(Peerzado, Magsi, & Sheikh, 2019). Since 1947 when the country attained Independence, the

country has become distinguished from the larger southeastern neighbors by the high Muslim

population within the state. The country has also faced challenges throughout its existence to

achieve political stability and promote social development. Notably, it has its capital in

Islamabad.

There are also various reasons which justify Pakistan to be a developing country. Such

factors as reduced poverty and crime rates have contributed to economic growth. Its economy

continued to grow in 2018, reaching 5.8%. Growth, in this case, was attributed to higher

consumption demand, which resulted from accommodative fiscal and monetary policies (Hassan,

Xia, Khan, & Shah, 2019). The plans caused wider macroeconomic imbalances. Current Account

Deficit (CAD) also rose to 6.1% of the GDP in 2018, increasing from 4.1% in 2017. The

increase in the CAD is an indicator of the widening trade deficits since exports cannot match

imports as a result of high domestic demand. The fiscal deficit also increased to 6.6% in 2018.

Further, it is projected that the poverty rate in the country will continue falling in F19. The

poverty head-county that was measured through the international poverty line of $1.90 is

approximately 3.1% for 2019; in 2015, it was at 4% (Ali, Bakhsh, & Yasin, 2019). Forecasting

shows that as the country’s GDP continues to grow, its poverty rate continues to fall. This

indicates that there is positive growth in the market, and this is why Pakistan is considered a
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developing country. All the growth factors show that the country is fast rising and could soon

become a developed country.

The focus of this essay is urbanization in Pakistan. The growth and development

experienced narrows down to such factors as urbanization. As such, discussing urbanization is

important as it expounds on the contribution of urbanization to Pakistani’s position as a

developing country, the cause of urbanization, and how issues related to urbanization can be

addressed to promote sufficient growth in the economy. As such, the research question

formulated for this study is; what is the contribution of urbanization to Pakistan’s position as a

developing country, and how could result effects be contained? This paper will examine the

causes/roots of urbanization in Pakistan, the contemporary challenges associated with

urbanization, and how such problems could be addressed in Pakistan. 

Origin, root, and legacy of the current event

A rise in the rate of urbanization in Pakistan has been witnessed since the country gained

Independence, and it is attributed to various causes. Most of the people in the country live along

the Indus River, and Karachi has become the most populous city in the country. In the northern

part of the country, most of the people live in an arc formed by Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Lahore,

Sialkot, Gujranwala, Jhelum, Gujrat, Mardan, Nowshera, Sargodha, Sheikhupura, and Peshawar.

Between 1990 and 2008, 36% of the country’s population was made up of city dwellers, and this

implied that Pakistan was the most urbanized country in South Asia (Ahmad, Zhu, Shafait,

Sahibzada, & Waheed, 2019). Further, 50% of the population lives in towns with at least 5,000

people. 

The British surrendered control of the country’s governance and leadership in 1947 after

the Great Partition of India and Pakistan, and the region was left in political wrangles due to the
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vacuum of power, and the mass immigration that ensued the partition (Ahmad, Zhu, Shafait,

Sahibzada, & Waheed, 2019). The consequences are still much evident today since most of the

residents lack such basic needs as food and housing security in both countries (India and

Pakistan). This was mainly as a result of the destruction and loss of property that was witnessed

during the Partition and the migrations, as it resulted in the loss of capital and financial stability

in the region. Further, the overcrowding and rapid movement of individuals from rural areas to

the cities has contributed to the emergence of slums. 

It is also notable that immigration from both within and even outside the country is

considered among the major factors which account for increased urbanization in the country.

Analysis of the Pakistan Census of 1998 shows the importance of the Independence of the

country in 1947 during the 1940s in relation to understanding the urban change within the

country (Singh, Tanvir Hassan, Hassan, & Bharti, 2019). During the independence period,

Muslim Muhajirs from the neighbor country India migrated in high numbers and then settled in

Pakistan, with most of them living near Karachi, the port city. Today, this has become the largest

metropolis in the country. 

The process of urbanization in Pakistan has also been catalyzed by migration from other

nations, especially the ones from the neighboring countries. Something that captures interest is

the fact that movement took place following the aftermath of the independence day of

Bangladesh in 1971; during this time, stranded Biharis were then relocated to Pakistan (Colbeck,

Sidra, Ali, Ahmed, & Nasir, 2019). Bengalis and Burmese also followed in smaller numbers and

started living in other countries. Further, the Soviet invasion that took place in the 1980s resulted

in millions of refugees from Afghanistan entering into Pakistan; however, repatriation has taken

place since 2002, and this has seen many illegal immigrants sending them back to their countries.
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Nevertheless, the rapid urbanization that resulted from the large populations led to the creation of

new socio-economic and political complexities. 

Challenges faced as a result

There are various challenges that are associated with rapid urbanization in Pakistan.

Some of them are discussed below.

Poor housing affordability and quality; according to the State Bank of Pakistan, it is

estimated that across most of the major cities in the country, urban housing is around 4.4 million

units short of the demand experienced in 2015 (Singh, Tanvir Hassan, Hassan, & Bharti, 2019).

If the trend continues as it stands today, it is then projected that 5 of the largest cities in the

country will account for 78% of the total housing shortage in the country by 2035. The

projection also shows that even if the population in the urban areas remains constant, the

increasing trend of nuclear families looking for housing away from their extended families will

exert more pressure on housing supply.

Water and sanitation; in most of the cities in Pakistan, water supply is only done for

between 4 and 16 hours in a day, and this is only accessible to around 50% of the total

population. Research conducted by the Asian Development Bank also shows that 90% of the

water supplied to the population is not safe for human drinking (Hassan, Xia, Huang, Khan, &

Iqbal, 2019). It is also common to come across shared latrines in cities, and there is low access to

waste management services. In such densely populated areas as Karachi, twenty people share

one toilet. It is also forecasted that expenses on poor sanitation contribute about 3.9% of the

GDP, with the most significant contributors being disease among children.

Transportation; Karachi is considered the only megacity in the world which does not

have a mass public transport system (Ahmad, Zhu, Shafait, Sahibzada, & Waheed, 2019). On the
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other hand, the cost of private transportation has been projected to increase by more than 100%.

Individuals who live in such areas but have a limited capacity to raise the fees have to live in

inner-city, unplanned neighborhoods.

Health; whereas nutrition and overall health are better in the urban areas than in the rural

areas, malnutrition, and child mortality indicators highlight the fact that the urban areas of the

country have poo healthcare concerns (Hassan, Xia, Huang, Khan, & Iqbal, 2019). Further, urban

areas tend to have better healthcare services to improved access to both public and private care

within the cities. However, the utilization of essential public health care services is still low.

Solutions to the problems

The challenges that Pakistan is facing today as a result of urbanization could be resolved

through various ways. Some of these approaches include the following;

Encouraging urban to rural migration; the rapid urbanization in Pakistan is attributed to

the mass rural urban migrations and entry of refugees into the country. As such, such movements

should be well managed and report any unauthorized entry into the country and major cities such

as Karachi.

It was also established that more than 50% of the households in rural and urban areas are

rather landless. As such, the heads of such households should meet and form a natural group for

the immigrants who are search of jobs, higher compensations, and better working conditions.

Housing affordability and quality; it was established that the quality of housing in the

country is depreciating, while affordability is reducing. This means that there is a need for more

affordable housing. The government should come in and subsidize the prices and ensure that all

individuals have access to new clothing.

forces the population to line up for clean water, which is still not accessible. As such, there is a

need to ensure that there are more water supplies and that the population can access clean

drinking water from different points.

Transportation; a mass public transport system should be introduced in the city since it is

the only megacity in the world that does not have one. Further, the government should formulate

and implement policies which seek to ensure that the cost of private transportation does not

increase by more than 100%.

Conclusion

Pakistan has been shown as a developing country due to its GDP growth and overall

economic growth. Such factors as reduced poverty and crime rates have contributed to economic

growth. Its economy continued to grow in 2018, reaching 5.8%. Further, it is projected that the

poverty rate in the country will continue falling in F19. The study also shows that is in the rate of

urbanization in Pakistan has been witnessed since the country gained Independence, and it is

attributed to various causes. Some of the factors which have contributed to urbanization include

the mass immigration that ensued the partition of India and Pakistan, and migration from both

within and also outside the country. This has resulted in such challenges as poor housing

affordability and quality, lack of clean water and sanitation, lack of a mass transport system, and

poor public healthcare. This paper suggests some of the ways through which such challenges can

be addressed.
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