Unregulated housing sprawl threatens Pakistan’s food security, warns Ahsan Iqbal

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal, on Wednesday warned that the unchecked conversion of agricultural land into housing societies poses a grave threat to Pakistan’s food security, calling for urgent policy intervention and strict legislation.

Chairing a high-level committee meeting in Islamabad, the minister expressed alarm over the rapid depletion of fertile farmland across the country, particularly due to horizontal urban sprawl.

“If this trend is not reversed, future generations could face severe food shortages,” Iqbal said.

The meeting, attended by senior federal and provincial officials, representatives of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), and infrastructure experts, focused on building consensus for regulating the conversion of agricultural land.

Concern raised over land grabbing, corporate farming

Member Infrastructure Waqas Anwar presented a detailed overview of committee findings, flagging gaps in legal frameworks, provincial disparities, and critical data deficiencies.

Iqbal underscored the need to transition toward vertical construction in urban centres like Islamabad to preserve green zones and mitigate the environmental impact of urban expansion. He also instructed provincial governments to compile data on agricultural land lost to real estate development over the past two decades.

“The unplanned expansion of cities is creating infrastructure bottlenecks and eroding public services,” the minister warned, adding that the exploitation of farmland for private housing is akin to “selling off the nation’s food future.”

He called for national legislation to curb the widespread felling of trees and promote sustainable urbanization. Public awareness campaigns and the development of affordable housing models were among the committee’s key recommendations.

Concluding the meeting, Iqbal announced that the federal government, in collaboration with provinces, will soon introduce a comprehensive policy aimed at protecting agricultural land and guiding balanced urban growth.