LAHORE: The Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) and the Pakistan Cotton Brokers Association have jointly opposed the proposed conversion of land belonging to the Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI), Multan, into a Gymkhana Club, warning that such a move would seriously damage Pakistan’s already fragile cotton research and development framework.
In separate appeals to the government, both organizations stressed that CCRI Multan is a historic and specialized institution of national importance that has played a pivotal role in the country’s cotton sector for more than five decades.
PCGA Chairman Sham Lal Manglani urged the Punjab chief minister to immediately cancel the proposed project and declare the land of CCRI Multan a “National Agricultural Research Heritage Site.”
He said the institute has remained Pakistan’s central cotton research facility since 1970 and has developed over 40 high-quality cotton varieties, many of which are still widely cultivated by farmers.
He said CCRI houses Pakistan’s largest cotton gene pool, preserving more than 6,200 germplasm accessions collected from 41 countries, describing it as a valuable national asset for the country’s agricultural and economic security. He added that the institute’s experimental fields, laboratories, and integrated research system are interconnected and cannot be relocated or replaced.
Manglani said CCRI Multan had played a crucial role in the country’s bumper cotton crops during 1991-92, 2004-05, and 2014-15, while also representing Pakistan at international forums, including the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC). He warned that further weakening of the institute could force farmers to abandon cotton cultivation, adversely impacting edible oil, livestock feed, milk, meat production, and the broader rural economy.
The PCGA demanded immediate cancellation of the proposed Gymkhana Club project, declaration of CCRI as a National Agricultural Research Heritage Site, and release of a special grant of Rs2 billion for revival of the institute and clearance of its liabilities.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Cotton Brokers Association Chairman Rana Muhammad Shafqat, in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, said the justification that other institutions could substitute the role of CCRI was inconsistent with scientific realities and ground conditions.
He stated that CCRI Multan possesses decades of uninterrupted research experience, a rich germplasm repository, and a proven record of developing successful cotton varieties. He maintained that the institute’s dedicated focus on cotton research could not be effectively replaced by general agricultural universities or relatively new institutions with limited achievements in the field.
The association highlighted that despite severe financial and resource constraints, institutions operating under the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee had continued to deliver meaningful results, including cotton varieties such as Sitara-547 and CRIS-682, which gained widespread farmer acceptance and contributed positively to recent cotton seasons.
Both organizations emphasized that while alternative sites could be identified for a Gymkhana Club in Multan, it would be impossible to relocate decades of cotton genetic research, rare germplasm resources, and the country’s integrated cotton research infrastructure.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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