Punjab Province

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government has launched a province wide operation against illegal industrial units operating in residential areas, following the directives of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
As part of the campaign, the Environmental Protection Department carried out a major operation in Chiniot against a leather processing unit accused of creating environmental pollution and causing serious inconvenience to residents. During the operation, officials demolished an illegal tannery and a warehouse being used for storing animal hides in a residential locality.
According to officials, the unit was involved in hide processing and leather manufacturing activities, which produced foul odours and unhealthy environmental conditions. Residents of the area had repeatedly complained that the pollution from the facility was affecting their daily lives and creating health and hygiene problems, particularly for children, women and elderly people.
Local residents welcomed the government’s action and said the illegal industrial activity had made living conditions difficult in the neighbourhood for a long time. They appreciated the intervention of the authorities and called for continued action against similar units operating unlawfully in residential areas.
Officials said the operation in Chiniot is part of a broader enforcement drive being carried out across Punjab against environmental violations and illegal industrial activities. The campaign will target units that are operating without permission and those responsible for air pollution, waste burning and other harmful practices.
Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said industrial activities are not allowed in residential neighbourhoods and warned that strict action would be taken against illegal tanneries, slaughterhouses, plastic-burning units, waste burning operations and crop residue burning.
She said the government would show no leniency toward environmental offenders and urged citizens and business owners to comply with environmental laws. She added that the crackdown against polluters would continue across the province to protect public health and improve the environment.
Marriyum Aurangzeb also said Punjab’s air quality had improved over the past two years due to the government’s environmental policies, monitoring and enforcement measures. She said the provincial government remains committed to controlling pollution and ensuring a cleaner and healthier environment for citizens.

Vehari: [Tariq Aziz Ansari, District Coordinator, ReNews Pakistan]
An important meeting regarding the Punjab Socio Economic Registry survey was held under the chairmanship of Assistant Commissioner Vehari Anum Akram, during which the progress of the survey, performance of field teams and assigned targets were reviewed in detail.
PSER enumerators and relevant officers attended the meeting. On the occasion, enumerators were assigned targets on a daily basis and directed to submit their performance reports during the evening review meetings so that the pace and progress of the survey could be monitored effectively.
Assistant Commissioner Anum Akram said that compiling complete, accurate and transparent records of every citizen is essential for the effective preparation of the Punjab Socio Economic Index. She said the PSER survey would provide an important foundation for public welfare initiatives, government policymaking and the delivery of facilities to deserving people.
She directed the field teams to collect data from door to door with full responsibility, adding that no negligence, delay or laxity would be tolerated in the survey process.
The Assistant Commissioner made it clear that the assigned target of the PSER survey must be completed by June 20 so that the process of socio-economic registration in the district could be completed within the stipulated time.

Rawalpindi | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government has revised its earlier plan to establish a Special Economic Zone along the Rawalpindi Ring Road and has decided to develop an industrial estate instead, after policy constraints linked to ongoing discussions with the International Monetary Fund made the SEZ model difficult to pursue at this stage.
According to reliable sources, the Punjab Industrial Estates Development and Management Company has approved the establishment of an industrial estate in the corridor adjacent to the Rawalpindi Ring Road project. The decision marks a major shift from the earlier proposal, under which a full-fledged Special Economic Zone was expected to be developed along the route to attract investment, promote manufacturing and generate employment.
Officials said the key reason behind the change was the fiscal limitation on tax exemptions and incentive packages normally offered under the SEZ framework. Under the current economic environment and discussions with international lenders, the government is not in a position to extend the broader concessions typically associated with Special Economic Zones.
As a result, the provincial authorities have opted for an industrial estate model, which can be implemented within the existing fiscal framework while still creating opportunities for industrial growth in the region.
Sources said that after the required legislative approval from the Punjab Assembly, the land acquisition process for the proposed industrial estate is expected to begin under the relevant legal provisions. The acquired land will later be offered to industrial investors at comparatively affordable rates in order to encourage manufacturing, commercial activity and private sector investment along the Ring Road corridor.
The proposed industrial estate is being viewed as an important economic component of the Rawalpindi Ring Road project, which is currently in its final stages of completion. The 38.6-kilometre Ring Road stretches from Banth Interchange on GT Road to Thalian Interchange on the motorway and is being completed at a revised cost of Rs51 billion.
Officials said the main carriageway and four of the five interchanges, including Banth, Chak Beli Khan, Adiala and Chakr, are nearing completion. The project is expected to be opened to traffic shortly after its formal inauguration.
However, construction work on the Thalian Interchange has faced delays. The interchange has been designed as a broad-based connectivity point, while the National Highway Authority is expected to complete the connecting link from Thalian to Sangjani at a later stage.
Business groups and industrial stakeholders had long demanded the establishment of an economic zone along both sides of the Rawalpindi Ring Road, arguing that the project could become a major investment corridor for the twin cities and surrounding areas. Earlier official engagements with the business community had also indicated support for such a plan.
Representatives of the business community said industrialists remain interested in investing in the area, provided land is made available at reasonable prices and supporting infrastructure, including roads, utilities and access routes, is developed effectively.
Officials maintained that although the SEZ model is not feasible for now due to IMF-linked policy restrictions, the industrial estate framework will still help unlock the economic potential of the Ring Road corridor and support industrial expansion in Rawalpindi and adjoining areas.