LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has suggested the shifting of the proposed Punjab Apparel Park from Sheikhupura to Faisalabad industrial estate.

“Instead of wasting precious land and billions of rupees on Sheikhupura industrial zone, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif should restore the Faisalabad industrial estate established during the PML-Q government,” Mr Elahi told reporters on Thursday.

The Faisalabad industrial estate has been established over 4,500 acres near the dry port and hundreds of plots are available there for investors.

The former deputy prime minister said he wondered why the government did not utilise the Faisalabad land for new projects.

“Investment does not come merely by signing a record number of MoUs. To attract investors the rulers will have to improve power and gas supplies and the law and order situation,” he said.

Mr Elahi said the land had yet to be acquired for the Sheikhupura industrial zone but the chief minister was declaring that applications had been received for 90 per cent of the land.

“We had formulated a comprehensive policy in Punjab under a vision so that industrial estates could be established at division and district levels in the province,” he said. “Our government (2002-2007) had left behind grand industrial infrastructure by establishing export processing zones in Gujranwala which was to be upgraded with the passage of time but it was destroyed in six years.”

The 1,500 acres of mauzas Sahoo Kee Maliyan and Bhamb in Sheikhupura district have been proposed to be acquired evicting 30 farms established there. More than 2,300 cattle-heads there produce over 130,000 litres of milk monthly on an average 4,300 liters per day. The two mauzas have fish farms too.

Mr Elahi said it would be unwise to consume agriculture land for the industrial zone.

He deplored the government’s decision to give a Rs32 billion subsidy annually to the Lahore Metro Bus. “Now another Rs50 billion is being allocated for the water ways transport,” he said.

He said the Punjab government had put on sale 1,150 government properties worth Rs11 billion as it intended to sell the same to its ‘favourites’ for Rs8 billion.