The Punjab government has prepared a comprehensive plan to accelerate industrial growth across the province, with Rs. 30 billion earmarked in the current fiscal year to upgrade and provide missing facilities in industrial estates.
The Punjab Industrial Estates Development and Management Company (PIEDMC) has been tasked with executing major parts of the plan, which includes the development of new industrial zones, expansion of existing estates, and infrastructure improvement across the province.
Major (r) Javed Iqbal, Chairman of PIEDMC, said that PIEDMC is initially working on the establishment of two new industrial estates, one in Sialkot and another in Rawalpindi. “The Sialkot Industrial Estate project is at an advanced stage and is being developed over 400 acres near Sialkot International Airport,” he said.
He explained that the new estate will be linked to the Sialkot–Lahore Motorway and the airport through state-of-the-art roads to facilitate both import of industrial raw materials and export of finished goods.
He said PIEDMC is also making efforts to attract foreign investment in these new industrial estates to encourage greater capital inflows into Punjab’s industrial sector.
“The proposed Rawalpindi Industrial Estate is still at the conceptual stage,” he noted, adding that the main objective of the project is to promote industrial growth in northern Punjab.
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Expansion plans for Multan Industrial Estate and Quaid-e-Azam Business Park in Sheikhupura are also under consideration. Special funds have been allocated this fiscal year to upgrade infrastructure and sewerage systems at the Multan Industrial Estate.
Since its inception, PIEDMC has developed and upgraded nine modern industrial estates, including Sundar Industrial Estate, Quaid-e-Azam Industrial Estate (Kot Lakhpat), Multan Industrial Estate (Phases I and II), Quaid-e-Azam Business Park (Sheikhupura), Vehari Industrial Estate, Bhalwal Industrial Estate, Rahim Yar Khan Industrial Estate, and Bahawalpur Industrial Estate.
He said the PIEDMC has so far attracted over Rs 450 billion in investments — including foreign direct investment — through its various estates, creating direct employment for more than 200,000 people across Punjab.
To facilitate investors and streamline operations, PIEDMC has also established a one-window service center that provides all required services under one roof. “The centre handles application processing, issuance of NOCs, and approvals for Special Economic Zone (SEZ) status to ensure speedy facilitation,” Iqbal said.
To reduce industrial congestion in urban areas, PIEDMC has developed Sundar Industrial Estate and Quaid-e-Azam Business Park to shift the industrial load away from Kot Lakhpat’s Quaid-e-Azam Industrial Estate. “All new industrial estates are now being developed outside city limits to ensure easy access, improved logistics, and more attractive investment locations,” he added.
He said PIEDMC is also enforcing strict environmental compliance by issuing warnings and directions to hazardous industries to ensure adherence to government regulations and pollution control standards.
