Lahore

Lahore (laˈhoːɐ̯, Panjabi لہور Lahaur, in Gurmukhi script ਲਾਹੌਰ IAST Lāhaur, Urdu لاہور Lāhaur; Hindi लाहौर IAST Lāhaur; English Lahore) is a city of 11.126,285 inhabitants, it is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi as of 2017. It is the historical capital of Punjab and today, as the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the historical cultural center of Pakistan, the industrial and cultural hub of northeast Pakistan.

Geography

Location

Lahore is located on the banks of the river Ravi at an altitude of about 215 m above sea level only a few kilometers from the border with India. The nearest major city is Amritsar in India, located about 55 km to the east.

Traffic

Lahore is connected to hinterland cities by both road and rail; India and Pakistan agreed to establish a bus service between Lahore and Delhi during peace talks in 1999. After an interruption from 2001 to 2003 due to the crisis of the 2001 assassination attempt on the Indian parliament, buses have been running regularly since then.

The infrastructure in Lahore has been the focus of the ruling parties for several years, as traffic is a significant problem. In addition to cars, motorcycles and autorickshaws are the main vehicles on the roads, as they save space and get through traffic jams more quickly. Consequences are massive traffic jams and the associated pollution. To escape these problems, Project Orange Line Train was launched in 2016 in cooperation with the Chinese National Development Reforms Commission. The above-ground rail system on pillars shifts traffic upwards was aimed at reducing long waiting times and CO2 levels. The mega project was to take $1.6 billion and be unveiled within 27 months as an alternative to public transport. The railway line was opened in 2020.

In 2003, the Lahore airport was newly built. The airport is named after Muhammad Iqbal Allama Iqbal Airport. It now serves many airlines, including Pakistan International Airlines.

Population

About 94 % of the inhabitants are Muslims (1941: about 60 %), Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Baha'i and other religious groups form small minorities.

Population development of Lahore

Since the magnificent old town is particularly densely built up and no longer permits any new buildings, the outer places of the city have been developed and made habitable for many years. The districts around the old town have been built in the style of gated communities, as these score particularly well for their security with their own security personnel. Defense and Bahria Town are pioneers, with these housing mainly the upper class. Other districts have also been offering only gated communities for a few years now, with everything from hospitals available specifically and free of charge to residents, to schools, universities, shopping malls and various recreational facilities to enhance the lifestyle.