RAWALPINDI: Punjab’s industrialisation drive, marked by increasing Chinese interest and joint ventures, gained new momentum on Saturday afternoon as Provincial Minister for Industries and Commerce Chaudhry Shafay Hussain announced the establishment of a new industrial estate near the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) linked Rawalpindi Ring Road.
The initiative aligns with Punjab’s broader strategy to attract foreign investors, especially from China, to strengthen the province’s manufacturing and export capacity.
Speaking during a detailed interaction with the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), the minister praised the industrial sector for its crucial role in Pakistan’s economic development and assured stakeholders that their long-standing issues were being resolved at the highest level. The meeting, attended by RCCI President Usman Shaukat, Group Leader Sohail Altaf, and a large number of industrialists, featured frank discussions on the challenges facing the industrial sector. The open exchange was widely appreciated by participants.
Highlighting the government’s broader economic vision, the minister said that, under the directives of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the pace of industrial expansion had accelerated significantly, an expansion that increasingly involves Chinese partnerships and investment. New industrial units are being set up in Bahawalpur Industrial Estate, while construction work for 10 factories has begun in Quaid-e-Azam Business Park, Sheikhupura, a zone where numerous CPEC-linked projects are already under development.
To boost Pakistan’s textile exports, an area with strong Chinese collaboration, the government is also establishing a state-of-the-art Garment City in the Quaid-e-Azam Business Park. Officials said the project is expected to attract new Chinese companies with expertise in textile machinery, supply chains, and apparel manufacturing.
The minister reiterated that supporting industrialists, particularly those working closely with Chinese counterparts, remains a top priority for the Punjab government as it works to build a more robust and investment-friendly industrial ecosystem. –Agencies
