LAHORE: President of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol, expressed serious concern over the ongoing actions aimed at relocating industries operating in different parts of Lahore. He stated that the Lahore Chamber stands firmly with all its members and will not allow the constitutional, legal, and business rights of any industrialist, investor, or trader to be compromised. He said that the LCCI will defend the rights of its members at every available forum.
It is worth mentioning that the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have launched actions against industries operating in different areas of Lahore by issuing notices, forcing relocations, and, in some cases, sealing factories and registering FIRs. These actions have created serious concern within the business community. Long-established industries operating legally are being pressured to move out of the city, despite the fact that no alternative industrial zone, industrial estate, or SME cluster has been announced for the affected businesses. Such decisions pose a serious threat not only to investment but also to the livelihoods of millions of people and the national economy.
Speaking on the issue, LCCI President Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol questioned where industries are expected to relocate if they are being forced to leave their existing locations. He asked whether any new industrial zone has been established in Lahore over the past 30 or 40 years and whether the government has developed any new industrial estate or dedicated area for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). If the answer is no, he said, forcing thousands of factories and businesses to relocate is completely unjust.
He said that Lahore is Pakistan’s largest industrial, commercial, and economic hub, where thousands of industries provide employment to millions of people. Closing or relocating industries without proper planning and alternative arrangements affects not only factories but also puts the economic future of millions of families at risk. Such decisions will lead to unemployment, poverty, capital flight, and industrial decline.
The LCCI president said it is unfortunate that while the government talks about attracting investment, increasing exports, creating employment, and promoting industrial growth, it is simultaneously targeting the very industrialists who have been paying taxes, creating jobs, and supporting the national economy. He warned that such actions would seriously damage the confidence of both local and foreign investors.
He said that if the government genuinely wants to promote environmental protection, urban planning, and modern city development, the Lahore Chamber fully supports these objectives. However, making industries the scapegoat is unacceptable. Around the world, governments facilitate industries by establishing new industrial estates, providing infrastructure, offering affordable land, and then encouraging industries to relocate. In Pakistan, however, industries are being forced out before any alternative facilities have even been developed.
Saigol further questioned whether the government has any comprehensive relocation plan identifying where the affected industries will move. He asked whether those locations have essential facilities such as electricity, gas, water, sewerage, roads, waste management, transport, workers’ housing, and other basic infrastructure. If no such plan exists, he said, these actions can only be considered anti-industry measures.
He said that small and medium-sized industrialists would suffer the most, as many have invested their lifetime savings into establishing their businesses. For them, spending millions of rupees to build new factories elsewhere is simply not possible. If these industries are forced to shut down, not only the owners but also thousands of workers, engineers, technicians, and other employees will lose their jobs. He said the relevant authorities will bear the responsibility for such consequences.
The LCCI President demanded the immediate suspension of all actions being carried out by the EPA, LDA, RUDA, and other concerned departments against industries. He called for an end to all forced actions and urged the government to establish a high-level consultative committee comprising representatives of the Lahore Chamber, industrialists, relevant government departments, and other stakeholders to develop a practical, fair, and realistic solution.
He stated that the Lahore Chamber will not accept any decision that harms industry, investment, exports, or employment. If industries are closed, the economy will weaken, exports will decline, tax revenues will fall, and unemployment will rise. Such actions are against the interests of both the business community and the national economy.
Saigol concluded by saying that the Lahore Chamber will never leave its members alone. It will continue to raise its voice at every constitutional, legal, and democratic forum to protect industrialists’ rights, safeguard investments, ensure business continuity, and defend employment. He emphasized that the government should treat industrialists as partners, not adversaries, because if industry survives, the economy will survive, jobs will be protected, and Pakistan will prosper.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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