Pakistan’s unchecked urban sprawl, declining farmland and rising migration patterns are deepening food insecurity and social instability, senior academics and policymakers warned during an international conference held in Faisalabad
The concerns were raised at the opening session of the first International Conference on Migration and Labour Affairs, hosted by the Centre for Migration and Labour Affairs at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF). The event brought together researchers, education officials and international scholars to examine the growing socioeconomic impact of migration and labour-related challenges in Pakistan.
Punjab Higher Education Commission Chairperson Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan cautioned that rapid population movement toward cities, coupled with unregulated urban development, was steadily eroding the country’s agricultural base. He stated that fertile land was increasingly being replaced by housing schemes and commercial settlements, threatening Pakistan’s long-term food sustainability.
Dr Khan stated that migration and labour concerns could no longer be treated solely as social issues, arguing that they had evolved into major economic, environmental and agricultural challenges. He highlighted the expansion of informal settlements and slum areas as another consequence of poorly managed urbanisation. He urged universities and higher education institutions across Punjab to play a stronger policy-oriented role in tackling these emerging crises.
The conference was attended by several local and foreign academics, including Prof Dr Andreas Burkert from Germany’s University of Kassel, German Mission First Secretary Violetta Anand Kuzmova, UAF Vice Chancellor Dr Zulfiqar Ali and many others. During the event, Prof Burkert’s book Oases Agriculture in Pakistan: Folk Tales of Agro-Pastoral Heritages, Transformation and Biodiversity was formally launchedProf Burkert revealed that the project began nearly ten years ago after discussions with Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan aimed at documenting the experiences of rural communities and preserving Pakistan’s agro-pastoral heritage
