Like other cosmopolitan cities of the world, the amorphous Lahore was faced with debilitating challenges of governance, inequality, technology, resources, transportation, and environment for which the Ravi Riverfront Urban Development (RRFUD) project was seen as a solution since 1947.
The previous governments had put the project off on one pretext or the other as they lacked will, vision and honest intent to address the ills of a sprawling metropolis but the mercurial leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) decided to save the city from the demon of overpopulation, poverty, and ecological disequilibrium through the development of a planned new city of the RRF.
Great feats need leaders and visionaries to be accomplished and the RRFUD project, after remaining in doldrums for years, was in search of a leader when Prime Minister Imran Khan decided to save this city from existential challenges and give it a new life by embracing the needs of change besides making it an economic giant.
Engineer Imran Zafar of the NESPAK, who has worked closely on the project, said that the RRFUD project will rub shoulders with the cities like Dubai, adding that it has been planned on the Dubai model and it will take some time in its fruition.
He said that the only difficulty was to initiate the gigantic project as the previous government had shelved it but PM Imran has taken the decision to build a future city in Pakistan.
