Quaid-e-Azam business park becomes operational as 11 units begin production

The Punjab government’s Quaid-e-Azam Business Park in Sheikhupura has entered its operational phase, with 11 industrial units commencing production, marking a significant step in the province’s industrial expansion efforts.

According to Maj (retd) Javed Iqbal, Chairman of the Punjab Industrial Development and Management Company, a further 43 units are either under construction or close to completion. He said investors, both domestic and foreign, have committed around Rs174 billion in investments, which are expected to be realised in the near term.

The business park, spread across 1,860 acres, has been declared a Special Economic Zone, offering investors a one-time exemption on customs duty for imported capital goods and a 10-year income tax holiday. The project also includes a 200-acre labour colony designed to accommodate approximately 30,000 workers.

Located along the Lahore–Islamabad Motorway near Sheikhupura, the park offers direct connectivity to Lahore and other major urban centres, a factor officials say has significantly enhanced investor interest.

Under its master plan, the park will feature cluster-based industrial zones, modern office spaces and advanced industrial facilities. A 200,000-square-foot Center Way Business Square is currently under construction at the central site, while a dedicated motorway interchange and a Combined Effluent Treatment Plant are also planned.

The chairman said the project is expected to generate about 250,000 jobs for skilled and unskilled workers, with a specific focus on improving female participation in the industrial workforce.

In addition to industrial units, the park will host a Garment City covering 90,000 square feet, comprising multi-storey facilities for textile and garment manufacturing, warehousing and commercial operations.

To support industrial activity, the National Grid Company of Pakistan has energised a dedicated 220-kilovolt grid station in Sheikhupura. Officials said the facility, developed at a cost exceeding Rs4 billion under the Cash Deposit Loan facility, will meet the electricity requirements of large-scale industrial consumers in the zone.

The business community has welcomed the development. Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Faheem-ur-Rehman Saigol said multiple industrial groups are investing in the park due to incentives such as tax holidays, adding that the project is expected to support export growth, particularly in the textile and garment sectors.