On 15 February 2012, the Urban Resource Center hosted a forum titled “The Villages of the City and Their Future,” with Lal Bakhsh Bhutto as the speaker. The forum explored the challenges faced by Karachi’s rural settlements, or “goaths,” in the face of urbanization. Lal Bakhsh Bhutto discussed the impact of rapid city expansion on these areas, including issues of land encroachment, displacement, and loss of agricultural land. He proposed solutions for preserving the future of these villages, such as urban-rural integration, better land policies, and sustainable development practices to protect the livelihoods of rural communities in the growing urban landscape.

The full report of the forum is available in the attached PDF.