Punjab to consult stakeholders before relocation of industries

2026-03-10 - 16:14

Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency Imran Hamid Sheikh has said that future industrial planning will be carried out after due consultations with the business community. Speaking during a consultative meeting with the business community at LCCI on Tuesday, he stated that the industry itself will guide the government in developing sustainable industrial zones to ensure long-term environmental compliance and economic growth. Mr Sheikh said that Punjab’s anti-smog strategy has emerged as an internationally acknowledged model, adding that the province successfully reduced hazardous air quality levels within two years through joint efforts. He noted that international organisations and regional environmental forums are now preparing case studies on Punjab’s environmental management model based on satellite data from global agencies, including NASA and the European Union. Imran Hamid Sheikh stated that emission control systems, scrubbers and monitoring mechanisms were largely financed and implemented by industries themselves, making them the “real heroes” of environmental improvement. He said the next phase aims to convert short-term environmental success into a sustainable long-term model through planned industrial estates where collective infrastructure, such as wastewater treatment, monitoring systems and regulatory coordination would reduce compliance burdens on individual industries. He clarified that the proposed industrial zoning initiative is not similar to earlier relocation models imposed without consultation. Instead, it will be a phased, consultative and data-driven process developed under the guidance of industry representatives. Different industrial categories will be assessed separately based on environmental impact, labour intensity and relocation feasibility. He stressed that innovation and technological solutions must come from the private sector, while the government’s role remains that of facilitator and regulator. LCCI President Faheem ur Rehman Saigol emphasised that industrial relocation cannot be treated as a simple administrative decision. He said factories are not established overnight and therefore cannot be shifted abruptly without proper alternatives, infrastructure and realistic timelines. He stated that businesses must first be provided with developed industrial land, basic utilities, incentives and clear transition frameworks before implementation of any relocation policy. He said that Pakistan is already facing declining industrialisation, rising cost of doing business and widening trade deficit. He said that with a population exceeding 250 million and a large youth segment, strengthening the industry is essential to avoid economic instability. He also urged the government to facilitate industries in adopting environmental technologies through soft loans and financial support, noting that many small and medium enterprises cannot independently afford costly emission control equipment. Cut in policy rate urged to boost business activities in Pakistan