Episode Two : Five Years of CBD Lahore 2021 to 2026
What has the Central Business District Development Authority delivered in five years
With the completion of five years, CBD Punjab has a significant opportunity to publish a comprehensive, credible and fully documented White Paper on its performance.
Such a White Paper should present complete details of every project undertaken in Lahore. The total cost of each project, original and revised timelines, contractors involved, agreed deliverables, and actual progress to date should be clearly and transparently disclosed.
Likewise, full transparency should be ensured regarding projects initiated in other cities across Punjab. It should be clarified which cities have active projects, what stage they are currently in, how much progress has been achieved, and what the projected timelines are.
It should also be disclosed how much funding has been collected from the public and private investors, under what terms those funds were secured, and how and where they have been utilised.
Under the governing agreement, what percentage of annual collections was transferred to the Revenue Department of the Government of Punjab during these five years?
A separate section should be devoted to overseas Pakistanis, detailing the extent of their participation, the volume of their investment, and the present status of the projects in which they are involved.
The most fundamental question remains this: after the Authority’s jurisdiction was expanded from Lahore to the entire province, what tangible results has this expansion produced over five years? Has the institution genuinely evolved into a provincial authority, or do its core activities remain largely concentrated in Lahore?
If CBD Punjab intends to establish itself as a strong and credible model, the time has come to place a complete, data driven performance report before the public. Doing so would not only reduce speculation but also reinforce investor confidence.
Over the past five years, several CBD Punjab projects have faced questions regarding land ownership and legal status. In 2024, certain matters reached the stage of a NAB inquiry. The Auditor General’s provincial report also recorded substantive observations concerning financial authority, recoveries and procurement practices, including instances of overpayment, non recovery and potential public loss, along with debate over senior officers’ benefits.
Only the structured release of complete and verifiable data can resolve these ambiguities.
A comprehensive and independently audited White Paper would serve as a meaningful response to such concerns. While the Authority has issued clarifications from time to time, greater institutional transparency would help address serious questions in a conclusive manner.
Internationally, major urban development authorities follow established transparency standards:
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Publication of annual and five year performance reports including audited financial statements.
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Public project dashboards detailing costs, progress and expected completion dates.
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Disclosure of contracts and tender awards as open data for independent scrutiny.
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External performance reviews conducted by independent audit firms or parliamentary committees, with stakeholder consultations documented and published.
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A structured question and answer mechanism for investors and citizens.
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Publication of Impact Assessment Reports for major projects.
For any public or semi public institution, public trust is its most valuable asset. In the case of a large development authority such as CBD, transparency becomes even more critical.
After five years, placing verifiable data in the public domain is not merely desirable but essential under modern governance standards.
We now return to the core analysis.
At the inauguration of the project on 26 February 2021, the Authority repeatedly stated that within two years the full infrastructure would be completed and handed over to investors and builders to commence construction, and that within five years one hundred skyscrapers and high rise buildings would be developed.
Five years later, the central question is straightforward: what is the present status of those commitments? If the stated target was one hundred towers, the current reality indicates that not a single major high rise structure has yet been completed.
On the ground, the most visible development remains a car parking plaza located on the project’s main boulevard. In addition, a main boulevard of approximately four and a half kilometres, known as Route 47, has recently been completed, connecting Kalma Chowk in Gulberg to Walton Road.
The completion of this four and a half kilometre stretch over a five year period invites historical comparison. Sher Shah Suri, the renowned ruler of the subcontinent, reconstructed the Grand Trunk Road from Kabul to Bengal in less than five years, covering an estimated distance of between two and three thousand kilometres.
Importantly, Sher Shah Suri did not merely construct a roadway. He established roadside inns, ensured water supply through wells, and planted shade trees to facilitate safe and comfortable travel.
🔸 The image accompanying this article is the conceptual rendering presented by CBD management at the time of launch. It projected that within five years the area would transform into a skyline of modern skyscrapers and high rise buildings, reshaping Lahore’s urban profile to international standards. Five years later, the comparison between those projections and present ground realities can be made by any observer visiting the site.
To be continued in the next episode.
For any public or semi public institution, public trust is its most valuable asset. In the case of a large development authority such as CBD, transparency becomes even more critical.
After five years, placing verifiable data in the public domain is not merely desirable but essential under modern governance standards.
We now return to the core analysis.
At the inauguration of the project on 26 February 2021, the Authority repeatedly stated that within two years the full infrastructure would be completed and handed over to investors and builders to commence construction, and that within five years one hundred skyscrapers and high rise buildings would be developed.
Five years later, the central question is straightforward: what is the present status of those commitments? If the stated target was one hundred towers, the current reality indicates that not a single major high rise structure has yet been completed.
On the ground, the most visible development remains a car parking plaza located on the project’s main boulevard. In addition, a main boulevard of approximately four and a half kilometres, known as Route 47, has recently been completed, connecting Kalma Chowk in Gulberg to Walton Road.
The completion of this four and a half kilometre stretch over a five year period invites historical comparison. Sher Shah Suri, the renowned ruler of the subcontinent, reconstructed the Grand Trunk Road from Kabul to Bengal in less than five years, covering an estimated distance of between two and three thousand kilometres.
Importantly, Sher Shah Suri did not merely construct a roadway. He established roadside inns, ensured water supply through wells, and planted shade trees to facilitate safe and comfortable travel.
🔸 The image accompanying this article is the conceptual rendering presented by CBD management at the time of launch. It projected that within five years the area would transform into a skyline of modern skyscrapers and high rise buildings, reshaping Lahore’s urban profile to international standards. Five years later, the comparison between those projections and present ground realities can be made by any observer visiting the site.
To be continued in the next episode.
