WikiProject Pakistan

Welcome to OSM Pakistan!

OSM Pakistan is a community of OpenStreetMap (OSM) contributors, users, and supporters who come together to help grow and improve OpenStreetMap—especially for Pakistan. With limited representation of mapping communities in the country, our aim is to support all mappers in Pakistan and promote the growth and accuracy of the map across regions.

We are an open, inclusive, and welcoming group committed to sharing knowledge about OpenStreetMap and connecting with others who are interested in open data and collaborative mapping. This Wiki serves as a space to explore OSM-related resources, tools, and community stories from across Pakistan.

Whether you're just getting started or already passionate about mapping, we hope you find inspiration and useful information here. We’d love for you to be part of the OpenStreetMap family—and join the growing OSM Pakistan community!

About OpenStreetMap

What is OpenStreetMap?

OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a global, community-driven project where anyone—individuals or organizations—can contribute to a free, editable map of the world. With rich local insights and an impressive level of detail that continues to grow every day, OSM goes beyond just being a map. When treated as a geographic database, it becomes a powerful tool with endless possibilities.

Built and used by everyone

Imagine a map created from the collective knowledge of thousands of contributors. That’s exactly what OpenStreetMap offers. It’s a dynamic, ever-evolving map shaped by a wide range of voices—from local individuals adding neighborhood details, to public and private organizations sharing data gathered through their daily work. And it’s not just about contributing—these same groups rely on OSM’s data for countless applications: online and print maps, mobile apps, research, disaster response, sustainable development, navigation, education, conservation, and much more.

Truly open and unrestricted

Unlike many maps labeled as “free,” OSM doesn’t come with legal or technical strings attached. You’re free to copy, share, adapt, and build upon the data with minimal hassle. There are no ads and no paywalls—just a map created by people, for people. With a global network of contributors keeping it current, OpenStreetMap shows what’s really on the ground—not just what’s been paid to appear. In places like Pakistan, where official data may be unavailable or commercial providers show little interest, OSM often becomes the most accurate and accessible source of geographic information.

Adapted from osmuk.org

Usability of OpenStreetMap for Improving Quality of Life

OpenStreetMap’s open and adaptable nature makes it a valuable tool for enhancing quality of life across communities. By providing accurate, up-to-date geographic data that anyone can access and improve, OSM empowers individuals, governments, and organizations to make informed decisions and take meaningful action.

For communities, OSM helps identify essential services—such as schools, hospitals, clean water sources, and roads—supporting better urban planning and infrastructure development. In underserved or remote areas, it can fill gaps left by outdated or unavailable official maps, enabling local initiatives to thrive.

During emergencies and natural disasters, humanitarian organizations use OSM to map affected areas in real time, helping coordinate rescue efforts and deliver aid efficiently. This has been crucial in crisis zones where traditional maps fall short.

For individuals, OSM powers navigation tools, cycling and hiking apps, and accessibility-focused applications—making daily life easier, more connected, and more inclusive.

In sustainable development, OSM supports environmental monitoring, conservation efforts, and the planning of public transport and green spaces, contributing to healthier, more livable communities.

In essence, OpenStreetMap transforms geographic data into a shared public resource that drives innovation, supports resilience, and improves lives—locally and globally.

You can help!

There are many things you can do to help the map of Pakistan. Make sure to refer to the tagging guidelines below as well.

Many roads missing on the outskirts of Karachi, in rural areas, and in Hyderabad.
Many roads are missing in Karachi, Sukkur, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Lahore, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta.
Hyderabad and Kohat are in better shape but still missing some roads.

Tagging Features

Highway

Roads should be tagged in accordance with their official classification or their significance. We can further refine this tagging scheme with active participation from OSM Pakistan users.

Key	Value	Comment
highway	motorway	This tag should be applied to the carriageways of all designated motorways (M1-M10). Do not tag highways as motorways which have not be designated as such by NHA, Pakistan.
highway	motorway_link	The link roads (sliproads / ramps) leading to and from a motorway (or between two motorways). Only use this on slip roads to which motorway regulations apply (the "last escape" slip road before a road becomes motorway is not a motorway_link and should be tagged as a trunk_link or primary_link as appropriate to the non-motorway road it diverges from)
highway	trunk	All National Highways built, maintained and designated as National Highways by NHA, Pakistan.
highway	trunk_link	The link roads (sliproads / ramps) leading to and from a National Highway.
highway	primary	A 6 or more lanes dual carriageway. Important or major highways in a city can also be tagged as primary.
highway	primary_link	The link roads (sliproads / ramps).
highway	secondary	Regional highways mostly maintained by the Provincial Governments connecting cities, towns or villages.
highway	tertiary	4 lanes dual carriageway roads in a city or high importance roads.
highway	unclassified	No administrative classification. Unclassified roads typically form the lowest form of the interconnecting grid network. Note: This is not a marker for roads where we still need to choose a highway tag.
highway	residential	Roads accessing or around residential areas and which are not primary, secondary or tertiary.
highway	track	unmaintained and non-asphalt tracks
highway	service	A roadway providing connections to off-road destinations (such as car parks) or servicing private sites (such as industrial estates). Tagging a road as "service" indicates that the roadway should not be considered a through route nor expected to be of high quality. Pending a recognised tag for roads under construction, "service" may also be an appropriate tag for this purpose.

Addtional Highway Data

Service Roads:

Service roads should be tagged according to the guidelines in the table above. However, it's important to note a specific case in Pakistan. Some city development authorities name internal roads within sectors as "service road north," "service road south," and so on. While named "service road," these roads functionally serve as unclassified or tertiary roads according to the highway classification scheme. This naming convention can cause confusion for mappers unfamiliar with the local context. Be aware that similar situations might exist in other Pakistani cities.

Motorways

Tag as "motorway", typically rendered in blue.

Road	Route	Length (km)	Details (Status)
M-1	Islamabad to Peshawar	155	Access-controlled motorway with 6 lanes
M-2	Lahore to Islamabad	367	Access-controlled motorway with 6 lanes (Completed November 26, 1997)
M-3	Lahore - Abdul Hakeem	230	Access-controlled motorway with 6 lanes
M-4	Multan - Pindi Bhattian	294	Operational 4 lanes, which, in future can be increased to 6 lanes.
M-5	Sukkur - Multan	392	Access-controlled motorway with 6 lanes completed on 5 November 2019
M-6	Hyderabad - Sukkur	306	Under-contruction (in January 2023) six lane access-controlled motorway.
M-7	Kakkar via Dureji to Karachi	303	Proposed 2 lanes. (Planned)
M-8	Gwadar - Ratodero	892	Two lanes highway, completed
M-9	Karachi - Hyderabad	136	Access-controlled 6 lanes motorway.
M-10	Karachi Northern Bypass	56	Access-controlled motorway with 6 lanes. (Completed 2007, restoration is in progress after bridge collapsed in 2007)
M-11	Lahore to Sialkot	103	4 lanes Operational since 18 March 2020
M-12	Sialkot to Kharian	69	Under-construction 6 lane since 22 July 2022
M-14	Hakla - Dera Ismail Khan	285	4 lane access controlled motorway completed on 5 January 2022
M-15 or E-35	Hazara Motorway Expressway 35	175	57km six lane access-controlled motorway from Burhan to Havelian 39km four lane access-controlled motorway from Havelian to Manshera 84km 2 lane partial access-controlled expressway from Manshera to Thakot
M-16	Swat Motorway	81	Operational 4 lane access controlled motorway

National Highways

Tag as "trunk", typically rendered in green.

Reference	Name	Route	Length (km)
N5	National Highway 5 (Grand Trunk Road)	Hyderabad-Moro-Multan-Sahiwal-Lahore-Jhelum-Rawalpindi-Peshawar-Torkham 1136962 1136962	1819
N10	Makran Coastal Highway	Lyari-Gwadar-Gabd	653
N15		Mansehra-Naran-Jhalkhand	240
N25	RCD Highway	Karachi-Bela-Khuzdar-Kalat-Quetta-Chaman	813
N39		Basima-Khuzdar	110
N35	Karakoram Highway (KKH)	Hasan Abdal-Abbottabad-Thakot-Gilgit-Khunjerab	806
N40		Lakpass-Naukundi-Taftan	610
N45		Dir-Chitral	309
N50		Kuchlack-Zhob-Dera Ismail Khan	531
N55	Indus Highway	Kotri-Shikarpur-Dera Ghazi Khan-Kohat-Peshawar	1264
N65		Sukkur-Sibi-Saryab	385
N70		Qila Saifullah-Loralai-Dera Ghazi Khan-Multan	447
N75	Murree Expressway	Islamabad-Satra Mile-Lower Topa (Murree)-Kohala	90
N80		Tarnol-Kohat	144
N85		Hoshab-Pangjur-Nag-Basima-Surab	487
N90		Kwazakhela-Alpuri-Besham	64
N95		Chakdara-Mingora-Manglour-Kwazakhela-Madyan-Bahrain-Kalam	135
S1		Gilgit-Skardu	167
S2		Kohala-Muzaffarabad	40
S3		Muzaffarabad-Chakothi	55
E3		Wazirabad-Pindi Bhattian	100
E4		Faisalabad-Khanewal	184
E5		Khanewal-Lodhran Section	100

Administrative units of Pakistan

The administrative units of Pakistan consist of four provinces (Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh), two autonomous territories (Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan) and one federal territory (Islamabad Capital Territory). Each province and territory is subdivided into divisions, which are further subdivided into districts, which are further subdivided into tehsils, or taluka, which are further subdivided into union councils.

province / territory (tagged with admin_level 3)

division (tagged with admin_level 4)

district (tagged with admin_level 5)

tehsil / taluka (tagged with admin_level 6)

union council

Largest Cities

Infrastructure Mapping

You can help in completing our infrastructure for Power Lines (major cross-city high voltage towers for now) by looking at Osmose to find missing attributes or incomplete dataset.

You can also use Overpass Turbo to visualize all the power lines to see existing power lines.

Other useful resources:

Addresses in Pakistan

Addresses in Pakistan can be quite variable in their format, and it may not be easy to find a distinct address for many features. Pakistan is a predominantly rural country, and deliveries to small villages may not necessarily require an address to a specific building if the person taking an item to its destination knows where to find the intended recipient, or who to ask if not. Locations in urban centers are more likely to have specific assigned addresses, and can include any number of specifiers to narrow down a location.

See the Universal Postal Union document on the Pakistani addressing standard as a reference point for what may be included in an address where available.

The primary postal operator in Pakistan is Pakistan Post. You can find a listing of post offices and post codes on their website here: [1]. Major hub post offices in this listing are suffixed with "GPO" (General Post Office), and smaller post offices are each assigned to a hub.

Pakistan is divided into provinces and districts. The province can be tagged with addr:province=*, but it is not necessary if the district (addr:district=*, city, and/or postcode is specified. "Distt." is a common abbreviation for district in Pakistani addresses, though if tagged in OSM it should be unabbreviated as is convention. Districts are further divided into tehsils, which are in turn divided into union councils, but these are typically not included. addr:place=* may be necessary for addresses which involve a place name rather than a street name, or addr:full=* for addresses which are challenging to describe with the existing address tagging scheme. Addresses in larger cities such as Islamabad can be quite elaborate, and may include features such as a block number, which can be tagged with addr:block=*, or a sector number, which as of the time of writing (May 2022) does not have a single/standard tagging scheme. At the moment, the most common places sectors have been included in addresses in OSM are in addr:place=*, which is technically not correct as "places" are intended to be mutually exclusive to street names and sectors are typically supplemental to them, or included at the end of the street name itself. addr:sector=* (undocumented) has been used 3 times in Pakistan, but has been used in Guatemala ~2000 times. It is likely addr:sector=* is the clearest way to tag the sector number to avoid conflation with tags intended for other purposes, but feel free to contribute to the discussion on the talk page at Talk:Addresses#Addresses_with_sector_numbers if you have thoughts on how to approach these.

Water Body Mapping

Pakistan is a severely water-scarce country and suffers from frequent droughts, flooding and more. Mapping existing rivers, streams and canals will allow better research into efficient water management.

People Involved

If you are contributing to OSM Pakistan please do create an account on this wiki.

See Category:Users in Pakistan

Disaster response

There have been a number of disasters in Pakistan for which HOT and OpenStreetMappers in general have responded by helping to produce/improve maps with the potential to provide useful maps to aid agencies. Disasters include

Quality controls

Quality control with Osmose

WikiProject Pakistan

Contents

About OpenStreetMap

Usability of OpenStreetMap for Improving Quality of Life

You can help!