Poor roads infrastructure widens urban-rural development gap in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
PESHAWAR (APP): Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s socio-economic landscape is increasingly defined by a stark rural-urban development gap that perpetuates inequality, unemployment, and poverty, undermines merit, and stifles overall provincial progress.
A majority of people in rural areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa struggle daily for access to basic necessities such as quality education, healthcare, housing, clean water and sustainable livelihoods, in addition to the lack of proper road connectivity.
This imbalance not only hampers economic growth but also undermines social stability, putting extraordinary pressure on urban schools, hospitals, and road infrastructure.
The urban-rural divide has created a fragmented society in which rural communities increasingly feel alienated and disconnected from centers of power and opportunities due to poor roads connectivity.
Misal Khan, resident of Pabbi Nowshera told APP that, “Our Mohib Banda–Pabbi road has remained in a dilapidated condition for years. Our only request to the Chief Minister of KP is to order its reconstruction to facilitate nearly one million people in the area.”
Professor Dr. Muhammad Naeem, former Chairman of the Economics Department at the University of Peshawar, said that nearly one percent of the KP population controls a disproportionate share of the province’s wealth, including prime assets such as farmland, real estate, and bank deposits.
“As a result, poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment rates in rural areas of Khyber Pakthunkhwa have increased compared to urban centers due to lack of jobs, industrialization, modern agriculture practices, floods and education,” he said.
He added that mass migration from rural to urban areas has further complicated the issue. Despite a noticeable increase in the urban population from 32.52% in 1998 to 36.4% in 2017, about 63.6% of KP’s population still lives in villages, waiting CM KP attention for construction of roads for better access from agriculture fields to city markets.
The rising population has also placed additional strain on housing, with 2.5 million housing units needed to accommodate the homeless in the province. This shift has increased pressure on urban infrastructure, healthcare, education, and basic services.
Dr. Naeem emphasized that rural communities where the majority of the population resides are often overlooked in policy planning and investment. “This neglect keeps their potential untapped, trapping them in poverty while cities continue to grow and prosper,” he said.
The divide is not merely an economic issue but also a political challenge, as the concentration of wealth and resources in urban areas fuels social unrest, and the perception that the benefits of economic growth are reserved for a privileged few create disparities.
Such inequality, he warned, undermines democracy, social tolerance, and long-term economic stability. He called for an inclusive development approach and stronger coordination between the district, provincial and federal governments to ensure equitable progress and fast track construction of roads in rural areas.
He said better roads connectivity will help promoting tourism, livestock and agriculture besides increase girls education ratio.
Dr. Naeem underscored that rural development must be prioritized across key sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture, education, and healthcare.
“Rural areas often suffer from inadequate infrastructure that limits both quality of life and economic opportunities,” said another economic expert Sumbal Riaz.
Citing recent studies, she said that urbanization does not automatically translate into economic growth unless enhanced roads connectivity. In many developing countries, including Pakistan, unplanned urbanization has resulted in urban slums, environmental degradation, poor roads connectivity and worsening inequality in wealth distribution.
He stressed that investment in roads, schools, hospitals, and clean water is essential for raising living standards and promoting economic activity in rural areas.
Following the devastating 2025 and 2022 floods, poverty in KP’s rural areas increased sharply, further exposing the lack of educational and roads infrastructure. Many children particularly girls were deprived of schooling opportunities after completing their primary education.
Economic expert Sumbul Riaz said that the situation of girls’ education in the erstwhile FATA remains bleak. The FATA Annual Education Census shows that only 37% of girls are enrolled in primary schools, dropping to 5% at the secondary level, compared to 49% and 17% for boys, respectively.
She attributed the rural-urban divide in the merged districts to poor educational and communication infrastructure, poverty, cultural barriers, and teachers’ reluctance to serve in remote or insecure areas.
Citing the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) 2021 survey, she revealed that nearly one million children are out of school in the former FATA region, including 2.9 million girls aged 5–16 years in the settled districts.
The survey showed alarming figures as 61% out-of-school children in North Waziristan, 63% in Bajaur, 61% in South Waziristan, 51% in Mohmand and Khyber, and 47% each in Kurram and Orakzai.
The experts urged the provincial government to prioritize investment in education and healthcare infrastructure, as well as early childhood education and preventive healthcare programs, to uplift rural communities.
They described the rural-urban divide as not merely an economic issue but a moral and strategic imperative for the province’s long-term prosperity.
“Bridging this gap is essential to create an equitable society where every citizen, regardless of location, has equal access to opportunities,” he said, warning that failure to act swiftly could exacerbate social unrest, brain drain, and regional inequality.
In an effort to reduce the rural-urban gap, the Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) has approved 96 development projects worth over Rs. 10 billion across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the provincial government’s Good Governance Roadmap.
A spokesperson for the Planning and Development Department said the sixth PDWP meeting, chaired by Additional Chief Secretary Ikramullah Khan, approved key projects in roads, education, health, and urban development to promote balanced progress across the province.
Among the approved initiatives are feasibility studies and designs for the Shahpur Toi Bridge, Indus Highway to Bannu Gate Check Post Road, underpass at Charsadda Road (Faqirabad), dualization of Swabi–Topi Road, Katlang Bypass, Jalala–Charsadda Interchange Road, and multiple connectivity projects in Swat, Dir, Haripur, Mardan, and Swabi districts.
The PDWP also approved feasibility studies for the Swat Expressway Phase II (Chakdara to Fatehpur, 80 km) and the Dir Motorway (50 km) under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode, along with several road rehabilitation and bypass projects aimed at improving inter-district accessibility and economic linkages.
Officials said these projects reflect the provincial government’s commitment to bridging the development divide, promoting inclusive growth, and ensuring that both rural and urban populations benefit from the province’s economic potential through better roads connectivity.
