Punjab Province

Rawalpindi : ReNews Pakistan
The Rawalpindi Development Authority has reopened the city’s only multi storey parking plaza at Fawara Chowk after a 20 day closure caused by unpaid dues totaling Rs 48.2 million.
The authority has taken direct control of the facility and introduced a self collection system, under which RDA staff will manage daily parking operations and collect revenue directly.
According to official sources, the previous contractor had failed to clear outstanding payments for seven consecutive months. The dispute later reached court, where the contractor reportedly offered to pay Rs 15 million. The RDA rejected the proposal and maintained that the full outstanding amount must be paid.
The parking plaza was sealed on July 12. Although the authority subsequently secured a court ruling in its favour, the facility remained closed for 20 days, resulting in an estimated daily revenue loss of more than Rs 100,000.
The closure also created considerable difficulties for motorists and traders in the heavily congested Fawara Chowk area, as the plaza is Rawalpindi’s only purpose built multi storey parking facility.
The facility resumed operations on August 1. To strengthen financial oversight and ensure timely transfer of collected revenue into the authority’s accounts, the RDA has established a Vigilance and Revenue Collection Committee.
Officials said the new arrangement is intended to improve transparency, prevent revenue leakage and ensure more effective management of the parking facility.
The authority has also decided to award the parking contract through an open auction scheduled for August 17. The bidding process is expected to introduce a new operator under revised terms and stronger monitoring mechanisms.

Lahore : ReNews Pakistan
The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has sealed a total of 79 properties during a major operation against illegal commercial activities and the non payment of commercialisation fees across different parts of the city.
According to an LDA spokesperson, the operation was launched by the Town Planning Wing on the instructions of LDA Director General Tahir Farooq and was supervised by Chief Town Planner-I Asad uz Zaman.
LDA teams carried out enforcement action in Gulberg, Model Town, Canal Road, Gulshan e Ravi, Poonch Road and Mustafa Town, targeting properties found to be operating in violation of planning and commercialisation regulations.
Officials said 30 properties were sealed in Gulberg and Model Town for unauthorised commercial use. Another 38 properties were sealed along Canal Road, in Gulshan e Ravi and on Poonch Road over illegal commercial activity and the non-payment of commercial fees.
During a separate recovery operation in Mustafa Town, LDA teams sealed an additional 11 properties.
The sealed premises included private schools, beauty salons, cafés, restaurants, food outlets, grocery stores, pharmacies, shops, car showrooms, offices and other commercial establishments.
LDA Director General Tahir Farooq said enforcement action against illegal commercial use, building control violations and commercial fee defaulters would continue without discrimination to ensure effective implementation of urban planning regulations across Lahore.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab Special Economic Zone Authority Board has approved the expansion of Green Industrial Park and Sundar Green Industrial Park Special Economic Zones as part of efforts to promote environmentally sustainable industrial development across the province.
The two proposals, approved at the provincial level, will now be forwarded to the federal Board of Investment in Islamabad for final approval and further legal processing.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Punjab Minister for Industries and Commerce Chaudhry Shafay Hussain. The board reviewed the proposed expansion of industrial zones, the efficient use of industrial land, building regulations and cases involving plots where production units were not established within the stipulated period.
Under Pakistan’s legal framework governing Special Economic Zones, provincial authorities conduct the initial scrutiny of developers’ applications before forwarding approved proposals to the federal Board of Investment, which serves as the secretariat for the Board of Approvals and the relevant approval committee.
Eligible enterprises operating within Special Economic Zones may receive incentives under the law, including a one time exemption from customs duties and taxes on imported plant and machinery, as well as income tax relief for up to 10 years.
The board also decided to refer cases involving cancelled or withdrawn industrial plots to a subcommittee. These plots had been allotted to investors who failed to establish industrial units within the prescribed timeframe.
The subcommittee will examine each case individually and submit recommendations aimed at ensuring the transparent, lawful and productive use of industrial land.
The move is considered important because plots left vacant for extended periods not only restrict opportunities for new investors but also leave valuable land designated for industrialisation, employment generation and export-oriented production underutilised.
Industrial development institutions in Punjab have previously worked on policy measures for the transparent disposal of cancelled plots and their reallocation for active industrial use.
The meeting also approved the submission of Punjab’s land lease policy for industrial estates to the federal Board of Investment. The policy had earlier been endorsed by the provincial cabinet.
It is intended to make procedures governing the allotment, leasing, utilisation and monitoring of industrial land clearer, more transparent and investor-friendly.
The board further approved the application of the Punjab Industrial Estates Development and Management Company’s building bylaws to private-sector industrial zone developers.
The decision is expected to introduce uniform standards for construction, infrastructure, safety, drainage and environmental management across both publicly and privately developed industrial projects.
Industrial estates and Special Economic Zones in Punjab are developed through provincial institutions including the Punjab Industrial Estates Development and Management Company, the Faisalabad Industrial Estate Development and Management Company and the Punjab Small Industries Corporation.
According to the Punjab Industries Department, Sundar Industrial Estate in Lahore covers approximately 1,767 acres, while all 717 of its industrial plots have already been sold. The figures indicate growing demand for additional industrial land within Lahore’s southern industrial cluster.
Sundar Green describes itself as a privately developed, multipurpose Special Economic Zone situated near Sundar Industrial Estate.
According to the project management, the zone offers modern infrastructure as well as electricity, water, drainage and industrial waste collection facilities. It is designed to attract investment in sectors including food processing, textiles, manufacturing, electric vehicles, chemicals and packaging.
Officials expect the expansion of the two industrial zones to support the establishment of new industries, attract domestic and foreign investment, create employment opportunities and encourage environmentally responsible production in Lahore and surrounding areas.
However, implementation will begin only after the proposals receive final approval at the federal level and all required legal formalities are completed.