KARACHI: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Tuesday Islamabad would be developed along the lines of Shanghai’s integrated urban planning model, as he studied the Chinese city’s technology-driven approach during an official visit to China.
Naqvi’s comments come as Pakistan’s federal capital has undergone rapid changes to its road and transport infrastructure in recent years, marked by the construction of new flyovers, underpasses and the expansion of a state-run metro bus system, aimed at easing congestion and improving mobility.
“Shanghai is a leading example of rapid urban development and its progress is worthy of emulation for cities around the world,” Naqvi said during a visit to Shanghai’s Urban Planning Headquarters, according to an official statement released by his office.
“Islamabad is also intended to be developed on the lines of Shanghai,” he continued, adding that “immediate measures will be undertaken to benefit from Shanghai’s fast-paced development” in the Pakistani capital.
Naqvi was briefed on Shanghai’s master planning framework, which integrates land use, transport, public services and civic management through a centralized digital system.
The interior minister has been closely associated with infrastructure-led governance in Pakistan’s capital, where successive administrations have pushed ahead with road expansions, signal-free corridors and mass transit projects to accommodate population growth and rising traffic.
Naqvi is currently in China to examine urban management and governance models, including modern policing and city-wide coordination systems, as Pakistan seeks to upgrade public administration in major urban centers.
