Rawalpindi Ring Road Industrial Estate Planned
Punjab has moved a step closer to a new Rawalpindi Ring Road industrial estate, setting up a joint working group to push the plan forward.
The group was agreed at a meeting in Islamabad, where Provincial Minister for Industries and Commerce Chaudhry Shafay Hussain met delegations from the Rawalpindi and Islamabad chambers of commerce, The Express Tribune reported.
Who will drive the plan
The group brings together Secretary Industries and Commerce Muhammad Umar Masood, PIEDMC chairman Shehzad Azam and chief operating officer Ali Moazzam, plus representatives of both chambers.
Among those at the meeting were Rawalpindi chamber patron-in-chief Sohail Altaf, president Nosherwan Khalil Khan and former president Asad Mashhadi, along with Islamabad chamber president Muhammad Zakaria Akbar Khan and former president Khalid Javed.
The minister said the group would move the proposed estate forward faster.
Rawalpindi Ring Road industrial estate: the site
The minister said the estate would sit on non-agricultural land beside the Ring Road, chosen because industrialists want it and industry needs it, and that it would bring new investment and jobs.
The 38.3-kilometre Ring Road runs from Banth on the GT Road near Rawat to the Thalian interchange on the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway, with five interchanges planned along the route. The foundation stone was laid in March 2022, and construction began in September 2023 after delays caused by changes in government, land acquisition issues and redesigns. The road is expected to open in December 2026.
An estate beside the road would put factories on a direct link between the GT Road and the motorway, close to the airport and to Islamabad. That location is one reason the chambers have pressed for the plan, and why the government has now set up a group to move it forward.
Policy backing
The minister said Punjab’s new industrial policy had won approval from the federal government and the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), and that the Chief Minister’s Asaan Karobar Finance Scheme and the PEYUT programme would support industrial and commercial activity and lift investment.
The policy backing matters because an estate needs more than land. Firms need finance to build, clear rules to operate, and power and gas to run their plants. The Asaan Karobar scheme offers interest-free loans to small and medium businesses. The minister said both schemes would help promote industrial and commercial activity and increase investment.
Industrial space is in demand across Punjab. In Karachi, factories rely on the Shershah kabari market for reconditioned machinery because new imports are costly, which shows how much pressure there is on industrial costs. A planned estate near Rawalpindi would give firms in the twin cities a cheaper place to set up, with room to grow.
The Saudi-Pakistan private equity fund launched recently points in the same direction, with outside investors looking for ready industrial and commercial projects in Pakistan.
What happens next
The working group will now take the plan forward, starting with the site and the terms for firms that want to set up there. The report gave no date for work to begin and no size for the estate.
Power supply is a practical question for any new estate, and a scheduled power shutdown covers parts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi today. The estate’s success will depend in part on whether power, gas and road links are in place when firms move in.
Frequently asked questions
Where will the new industrial estate be built?
On non-agricultural land along the Rawalpindi Ring Road, in line with demand from industrialists and the needs of industry.
Who sits on the joint working group?
Secretary Industries and Commerce Muhammad Umar Masood, PIEDMC Chairman Shehzad Azam, Chief Operating Officer Ali Moazzam and representatives of the Rawalpindi and Islamabad chambers of commerce.
Which schemes will support industry?
The Chief Minister’s Asaan Karobar Finance Scheme and the PEYUT programme, which the minister said would help promote industrial and commercial activity and increase investment.
How long is the Rawalpindi Ring Road?
The road is 38.3 kilometres long. It runs from Banth on the GT Road near Rawat to the Thalian interchange on the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway, and it is expected to open in December 2026.
