Lahore: The Punjab government is set to divide Lahore city district into two administrative parts- Lahore North and Lahore South, with plans to implement the changes after the Basant festival, according to officials. The district administration has already submitted the required data to the provincial government.
A senior official, requesting anonymity, said, “The plan is almost finalised following approval from the highest office of Punjab. The new districts are expected to be created after Basant.”
Lahore North is likely to comprise Wagah, Ravi, Saddar, Shalimar, City, and Cantt tehsils, while Lahore South will include Iqbal Town, Model Town, Raiwind, and Nishtar tehsils.
Attempts to divide Lahore date back to 2017, when a plan was devised to split the city into four districts due to rapid population growth and administrative challenges. However, political and bureaucratic hurdles caused the plan to stall.
In 2019 and 2020, revised proposals suggested dividing the city into three or two districts, with multiple tehsils being created in each. Efforts included impact assessments to retain Lahore’s historical character, but progress slowed due to administrative and political challenges.
Officials emphasised that the current plan is being pursued seriously to improve local governance and address civic issues such as traffic, parking, pollution, smog, and encroachments. One officer noted, “Effective governance is impossible with only one deputy commissioner managing a city of around 25 million people.”
Suggestions to increase the number of tehsils from 10 to 12 have also been floated but may face resistance from the bureaucracy.
With the bifurcation, the government aims to enhance administrative efficiency and deliver better services to Lahore’s growing population.
Samra Zulfiqar, a real estate analyst at Zameen.com, is passionate about finding projects that offer buyers the best returns. Her keen insights spotlight the market’s most promising opportunities.
