Does FBR Chairman Want More Provinces in Pakistan?

Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman has drawn attention to Pakistan's growing urban centers and outdated administrative structures, sharing satellite images comparing the country's nighttime lights in 2012 and 2026.

Key points

• Karachi's illuminated area rose from 1, 119 square kilometers to 1, 605 square kilometers, representing 1.4 times expansion.
• Sialkot additionally more than doubled, growing from 154 square kilometers to 330 square kilometers.
• The post describes the development as a megacity taking shape along the Grand Trunk Road, with the resulting urban belt now larger than Karachi's illuminated area.
• The post comes against the backdrop of an ongoing debate over the creation of new provinces and the need to reorganize Pakistan's administrative boundaries.
• The country's urban population additionally climbed by approximately 60 percent over the same period.

Notably, the post comes against the backdrop of an ongoing debate over the creation of new provinces and the need to reorganize Pakistan's administrative boundaries. New Provinces Could Cost Pakistan Rs. 730 Billion Annually: Report.

According to the data shared in his post, Pakistan's continuously illuminated land area rose from approximately 13, 259 square kilometers in 2012 to 16, 876 square kilometers in 2026, representing expansion of 27 percent.

In practice, the country's urban population additionally climbed by approximately 60 percent over the same period. Lahore's Urban Expansion Surpasses Karachi.

In practice, the satellite comparison highlights the rapid expansion of a number of urban centers, particularly in Punjab. Lahore, Gujranwala, and Kasur. It appeared as separate clusters of light in 2012, have expanded into a connected urban belt incorporating Sheikhupura, Muridke, and Kamoke.

In practice, the combined illuminated area of this belt rose from 1, 794 square kilometers in 2012 to 2, 696 square kilometers in 2026, a 1.5 times expansion. The post describes the development as a megacity taking shape along the Grand Trunk Road, with the resulting urban belt now larger than Karachi's illuminated area. Other Major Cities Additionally Expand.

Faisalabad recorded the fastest expansion among the major urban centers highlighted in the comparison, with its illuminated area more than doubling from 403 square kilometers to 853 square kilometers.

While Multan's illuminated area doubled from 277 square kilometers to 550 square kilometers, islamabad and Rawalpindi expanded 1.8 times, from 855 square kilometers to 1, 498 square kilometers. Sialkot additionally more than doubled, growing from 154 square kilometers to 330 square kilometers.

Karachi's illuminated area rose from 1, 119 square kilometers to 1, 605 square kilometers, representing 1.4 times expansion. While Peshawar grew from 270 square kilometers to 311 square kilometers, hyderabad expanded from 256 square kilometers to 334 square kilometers. Quetta and Bahawalpur additionally recorded increases. Growing Cities Raise Questions Regarding Governance.

Notably, the FBR chairman argued that Pakistan's administrative structures have failed to keep pace with the expansion of its cities. Despite the emergence of interconnected urban centers, administration institutions continue to operate along boundaries drawn around an older urban landscape.

He pointed to the Lahore urban belt. It now stretches throughout four districts but has no single governing authority responsible for managing the interconnected metropolitan region. Karachi, meanwhile, is divided among approximately a dozen land-owning agencies, creating a fragmented administrative structure for a city that functions as a single economic and urban center. Maryam Nawaz Makes Surprising Promise on Corruption.

He additionally highlighted the governance of Punjab's cities, which, according to his post, have largely been run by appointed administrators for most of the past decade rather than through empowered local governments.

"The lights have merged. The state has not, " the FBR chairman wrote, arguing cities will continue to expand regardless of existing administration structures, but their future development will depend on whether the state adapts its governance systems to the urban centers they have become. Stay Connected with ProPakistani.

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In short, does FBR Chairman Want More Provinces in Pakistan? Is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.