Economic Corridor: 27 sites identified for

SEZs
December 29, 2015
ZAHEER ABBASI
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The federal government has identified as many as 27 sites in provinces, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and GilgitBaltistan for setting up of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), it is
learnt. Sources in the Finance Division and the Planning Commission told Business Recorder that provincial
governments
have
also
been
requested
to
allocate
land
for
sites
of
SEZs.
The federal government has identified seven sites in Balochistan for the establishment of SEZs. The sites identified in
Balochistan for industrial estates are as follows: (i) Gwadar with 3,000 acres for mines, minerals, food processing,
agriculture and livestock, (ii) industrial estate at Lasbela (1,290 acres, iron steel, hardware, paper industry,
pharmaceuticals), (iii) industrial and trading estate at Turbat (1,000 acres, manufacturing), (iv) Dera Murad Jamali
with 50 acres, (v) Winder Industrial and Trading Estate, (vi) mini industrial estate Khuzdar (50 acres) and (vii) Bolan
Industrial Estate (1,000 acres). The government has identified three sites in Sindh to set up Special Economic Zones,
which include Chinese industrial zone near Karachi (2,000 acres, Exclusive Chinese Industrial Estate), Textile City at
Port Qasim, Karachi with (1,250 acres) and Marble City at Karachi with (300 acres).
As per official documents, eight sites in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa province have also been identified for special
economic zones. They include, marble and granite based industrial estate at Mansehra (80 acres, mining), industrial
estate Nowshera (1000 acres, manufacturing), expansion of Industrial Estate Hatter (424 acres, manufacturing),
industrial estate at Chitral (80 acres, food processing) as well as Industrial Estate Ghazi (90 acres, manufacturing)
and

industrial

estate

Dera

Ismail

Khan

(188

acres,

manufacturing).

Industrial estate at border of Kohat and Karak and industrial and economic zone at Bannu (400 acre) in KP have also
been identified as sites for SEZ under CPEC. The government has identified seven sites for special industrial zones
in Punjab. These included Multan Industrial Estate phase-II (80 acres), Rahim Yar Khan Industrial Estate (450 acres),
Bhalwal Industrial Estate (400 acres), DG Khan Industrial Estate (3815 acres), Mianwali Industrial Estate (600 acres),
Rawalpindi Industrial Estate (200 acres) and Pind Dadan Khan Industrial City (10000 acres) for agri, textile, food
processing,
livestock,
manufacturing
&
energy).
Additionally, the existing under-development sites would also be included in SEZs for the CPEC. One site for special
economic zones in Gilgit-Baltistan Moqpondass (2,000 kanal, mining & food processing) and one for Islamabad
Capital Territory has also been identified under the CPEC.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2015