KARACHI: Pakistan’s cities contribute only 55 per cent to gross domestic product as compared to the world’s average of 80pc, the president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) said on Saturday.

A lack of investment in infrastructure is making Pakistan’s cities lag behind in economic and commercial growth, Mian Nasser Hyatt Maggo said in a statement.

He attributed this phenomenon to the absence of urban planning through a master plan, which has resulted in poor transportation networks, abysmal health and educational facilities, insufficient provision of basic utilities like water, sanitation, gas and electricity, underdeveloped industrial areas, etc. Apart from the current provincial and federal governments, previous governments have also been negligent in this regard, he said.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2021