LAHORE, June 29: The Punjab local government department on Wednesday notified the creation of three new towns in the city district raising the total number from six to nine. The new towns have been named as Samanabad, Wagah and Gulberg. Samanabad and Gulberg towns have been created from the areas taken out from Data Ganj Bakhsh Town, Nishtar Town and Allama Iqbal Town. Wagah Town comprises the areas taken out from Ravi Town and Shalamar Town.

New towns have been created because some of the old towns, Data Ganj Bakhsh Town in particular, were very large in size. Ravi and Samanabad towns are now the largest ones with 19 union councils each. Data and Nishtar towns have 18 union councils each, Shalamar and Allama Iqbal towns 17 UCs, Gulberg 15 UCs, Aziz

Bhatti Town 13 UCs and Wagah 12 UCs.