Governor declares Faisalabad ‘first circular city of Pakistan’
FAISALABAD: Sardar Saleem Haider Khan, Governor Punjab has declared Faisalabad as the first circular city of Pakistan and said that the objective behind this decision is only to put Pakistan on a growth trajectory.
Addressing a meeting in Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI), he paid tribute to the business community who is striving hard in the face of the most daunting challenges to stabilise the economy. He mentioned the gap between industry and academia and said that he will direct the Vice Chancellors of the universities to visit their concerned chambers to understand the issues faced by the business community.
“They would also be advised to constitute committees and appoint focal persons to interact with the business community,” he said and added that it would be encouraging if our investors succeeded to promote made in Pakistan products. He said that a focal person from the Governor’s Secretariat would also be nominated when you will visit Governor House next week.
“Focal person will remain in contact with the FCCI to resolve your issues without any bureaucratic hurdles”, he said and added that a team has already been developed which would not only respond quickly but also deliver tangible results. About the economic conditions in Pakistan, the governor said that everyone is aware of the high cost of electricity, energy, interest rate and heavy taxation.
“I shall try my best to arrange a meeting of FCCI with President Asif Ali Zardari and Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari,” he said and added that Bilawal Bhutto would also be requested to visit FCCI for direct interaction with the business community. He said that taxes are being deducted from the salaries of the employees while the businessmen already falling in the tax net are being squeezed instead of enhancing the tax net. About the issues of the downtown area, he said that problems in writing may be submitted to him along with viable solutions so that a mutually acceptable and agreed formula could be evolved. About the murder of a local businessman, the Governor said that he will take up this issue at the highest level and direct the concerned authorities to arrest the culprits within hours.
Earlier Arif Ehsan Malik, President FCCI welcomed the governor and other guests and demanded that Faisalabad may be declared as the first textile circular city of Pakistan. He said that textile waste is already being recycled to produce new and innovative products while efforts should be expedited to start a joint pilot project in a selected industrial cluster to treat the industrial effluent for its reuse. “The expertise of local universities could also be exploited to make it a total success,” he said and added that a campus of IT university may be established here to promote information technology in a systematic and sustained manner.
He also stressed the need to appoint a focal person to address the issues confronted by the business community at the highest forum.
Arif Ehsan Malik also proposed the commercialisation of lab tests developed by the different universities. Chaudhary Muhammad Nawaz, Rana SikandarAzam Khan, MianAftab Ahmed, Sheikh Muhammad Fazil, Haji Muhammad Aslam Bhalli and Tanvir Riaz took part in the question answer session while Group Leader Mian Javed Iqbal offered vote of thanks and also decorated governor with special collar pin to mark the golden jubilee celebrations of FCCI.
He requested the governor to direct vice chancellors of universities offering PhD in businesses to consult chambers for the research theses relevant to that particular area. Arif Ehsan Malik presented FCCI shield to Sardar Saleem Haider Khan. Former minister Rana Farooq Saeed Khan, Naeem Dastgir and Chaudhary Arshad Jutt were also present in addition to Senior Vice President FCCI Mian Muhmmad Saeed and Vice President Muhammad Yasin.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026