Episode 1: The Central Business District (CBD) Gulberg Lahore has now completed five years as of 26 February 2026.

Where does this project stand today compared with the bold vision set out at the beginning

Has the pace of development lived up to the initial promises?

Was the investor confidence shown at the outset genuine and sustainable, or was it largely a marketing strategy?

Is the development progressing in line with the theme presented at launch? Of the one hundred skyscrapers and high-rise towers that were announced, is progress on those structures moving at the expected speed?

At the time of the inauguration, the project’s estimated value was stated to be approximately 3.5 trillion rupees. How much investment has actually flowed in so far, and how close has the project come to realizing that enormous financial projection?

To provide a detailed assessment, we will divide this project into three strategic phases in order to analyse the vision of the authorities, the market reaction, and the performance achieved to date.

In this review, each phase will be examined separately, with a clear comparison between the promises made and the actual results delivered.

Phase One On 4 February 2021, the Government of Punjab, under the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf administration led by Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, promulgated the Lahore Central Business District Development Authority Ordinance. In rapid succession, the authority was established, and just 22 days later, on 26 February 2021, the Central Business District Lahore was officially launched on land previously used by the Walton Airport in Gulberg, Lahore. The inauguration was conducted by then Prime Minister Imran Khan. At the foundation ceremony, Prime Minister Imran Khan described the Central Business District as a potential game changer for Pakistan’s economy. Official projections suggested that the project could generate approximately 3.5 trillion rupees in long-term economic activity. It was further claimed that in the first phase alone, around 1,300 billion rupees of commercial activity would be created, generating an estimated 250 billion rupees in tax revenues for the federal government. When these economic impact figures were announced, the media and investors responded with serious interest. A perception took hold that the CBD could not only transform Lahore but also redefine the economic landscape of the entire province of Punjab. It was this mindset that led to a decision to expand the authority’s jurisdiction beyond Lahore to encompass the whole province. On 24 August 2022, the Punjab Assembly passed an amendment bill extending the authority’s mandate throughout the province. This amendment was published in the Punjab Gazette on 14 September 2022, and the authority was renamed the Punjab Central Business District Development Authority (CBDDA).

(To be continued in the next episode)