Punjab Province

Kasur: District Reporter Sadaf Arshad | ReNews Pakistan The Punjab Industrial Estate Development Management Company (PIEDMC) has received approval from the Punjab government to convert the Chunian (Kasur) Industrial Estate Project into Pakistan’s first dedicated seafood and aquaculture business park, according to official and news sources. The industrial estate is located near Bhai Pheru, approximately 40 kilometres from Lahore. The decision follows discoveries that the land originally acquired for industrial purposes, at a cost of PKR 350 million, was unsuitable for conventional industrial development. Soil testing revealed that the groundwater table is unusually high, lying just up to 10 feet below the surface or higher, making the site unfit for standard industrial operations. Subsequent studies determined that the land could be effectively utilized for aquaculture, particularly for breeding, growing, and exporting seafood species such as crabs, prawns, and shrimp. This prompted the transformation of the project from an industrial estate into Chunian Aqua Business Park, which will focus on seafood production and aquaculture-related business activities. The project also incorporates fish farming for local consumption, leveraging the land’s suitability for water-based cultivation. The seafood produced at the park will be marketed through a proposed mega fish market on Multan Road, which will serve as a new hub after relocating the existing Lahore Lohari Gate fish market. Officials emphasized that the initiative will not only optimize land that was unsuitable for industrial development but will also create opportunities in the aquaculture sector, support local employment, and contribute to the regional seafood supply chain. The Chunian Aqua Business Park represents a first-of-its-kind aquaculture-focused development in Pakistan, combining commercial seafood production with modern business park infrastructure. The project aligns with broader regional efforts to diversify land use and promote sustainable agriculture and aquaculture practices in Punjab. This transformation illustrates a growing trend of repurposing land previously allocated for industry, particularly in areas where environmental and groundwater conditions limit conventional development. The initiative is expected to stimulate both local economic activity and Pakistan’s seafood exports in the coming years.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan The Punjab government has advanced its agriculture market reform program through the operational expansion of a centralized digital monitoring system for essential commodities, reinforcing ongoing digitization measures across agricultural markets. The initiative was highlighted during official briefings in early January 2026, including discussions at the Punjab Assembly, as part of wider reforms under the provincial administration led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. The digital dashboard has been developed and implemented by the Punjab Agriculture Department, in coordination with market management bodies operating under the Punjab Agriculture Marketing Regulatory Authority (PAMRA) framework. The system was formally presented by the Special Assistant to the Chief Minister (SACM) during a briefing on inflation trends and crop pricing, where its technical features and operational coverage were outlined. The platform integrates real-time data on key commodities such as potatoes, onions, tomatoes, pulses, chicken, and other staple food items. Information is compiled from multiple stages of the supply chain, including production estimates, daily arrivals in public and private mandis, consumption patterns, storage levels in warehouses and cold storage facilities, and processing units such as flour, rice, and sugar mills. According to officials, the dashboard enables district- and province-level visibility of supply and demand, allowing authorities to monitor market movements on a daily basis. The system also includes data from both government-managed and privately operated storage facilities, providing a consolidated view of available stocks and movement trends. Administrative sources indicated that the digital system supports regulatory oversight by identifying supply gaps, monitoring price movements, and highlighting logistical constraints such as storage shortages or transportation delays. Flood alerts linked to grain storage locations have also been incorporated to support stock protection and food security planning during adverse weather conditions. The initiative forms part of a broader modernization effort within Punjab’s agriculture sector, which includes the digitization of fruit and vegetable markets, the phased rollout of Model Agriculture Malls, and the launch of a high-tech agricultural finance portal for machinery financing earlier in 2026. These measures are being implemented through provincial departments and market authorities to standardize market operations and improve record-keeping. Officials stated that the digital monitoring system will continue to be refined as more markets and storage points are linked to the platform. Further updates and technical details are expected to be issued through official notifications by the Punjab Agriculture Department and relevant regulatory bodies as implementation progresses.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan The Punjab government has agreed in principle to introduce amendments to the Property Ownership Act following intense legal pressure and strong objections raised by the judiciary. The move is being seen as a significant step toward restoring judicial authority and ensuring legal transparency in property-related matters. According to official sources, the decision comes in the wake of dozens of constitutional petitions filed before the Lahore High Court and sustained resistance from bar associations. Under the proposed amendments, tribunals established under the Property Ownership Act will be headed by serving Additional Sessions Judges instead of retired judges. This change aims to strengthen judicial independence, credibility, and transparency within the tribunal system. In addition, civil judges will be empowered to conduct a preliminary review of illegal possession complaints before referring them to district committees. Under the revised framework, district committees will no longer have the authority to directly decide pending cases. Any reference to a committee will only be made through a civil judge. Earlier provisions allowing affected parties to directly approach committees had drawn severe criticism from the legal community, which argued that such clauses undermined the role of regular courts. It is pertinent to note that the Lahore High Court had issued a stay order on the Punjab Property Ownership Ordinance and sought an explanation from the provincial government after petitioners contended that the law curtailed judicial powers and deprived citizens of traditional legal forums. In response, the Punjab government constituted a high-level legal committee to review the objections and recommend corrective measures. The draft amendments explicitly preserve the right to appeal against interim orders of the tribunals before the Lahore High Court. Provisions for judicial review are also being incorporated, reflecting the government’s willingness to accommodate constitutional concerns while pursuing faster resolution of land and property disputes. Legal experts believe that if these amendments receive final approval, they could ease tensions between the judiciary and the executive and help restore public confidence in the legal process governing property and land disputes. The draft is currently being finalized through consultations with judicial authorities and bar councils, and formal implementation is expected after consensus among all stakeholders.