Seminar on “Growing Urbanization and Its Social Impacts on Pakistani Society”
15 September 2023
The Iqbal International Institute for Research and Dialogue in collaboration with the Department of Sociology, IIUI organized a seminar on Growing Urbanization and Its Social Impacts on Pakistani Society at the Allama Iqbal Auditorium Faisal Masjid Campus. Panelists of the seminar discussed that Pakistan is one of the fastest urbanizing nations in South Asia with an average annual growth rate of 2.7%. Rapid urbanization is contributing to various issues such as increasing cost of transportation, transformation of social structures, global warming and climate change. Impoverished urban residents may be vulnerable to food shortages, unemployment, and crime. It also causes housing problems, water and sanitation problems, traffic congestion, health issues and urban crime. They viewed urbanization as a multi-dimensional process that also leaves impacts on the migrants’ beliefs, perceptions, lifestyle, attitudes and behavior patterns. They opined that with Pakistan’s increasingly urban complexion coming into sharper focus, it is high time for the country to embrace this emerging new identity and to take the proper steps to ensure that the transition is a successful one. In the end, the chair thanked all the guests and participants and lauded the efforts of the IRD and the Department of Sociology for highlighting such an important issue pertaining to Pakistani society.