ISLAMABAD:President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce Malik Abdul Ghafoor called on Federal Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Works Iftikhar Ali Shallwani here in his office on Wednesday and discussed with him the relocation of tanneries in the Sialkot Tannery Zone.
The meeting was convened on the direction of Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif, said a press release.
Officials from the ministries of Climate Change, Commerce and Industries, and Defence also attended the meeting.
The meeting was aimed at addressing the environmental concerns, posed by the existing locations of tanneries in densely populated areas.
Malik Abdul Ghafoor requested the Secretary of Housing to help in civil and solarisation work through PSDP. The Secretary assured his full cooperation and said that the ministry would support and assist the project in building roads, civil work and infrastructure.
Shallwani asked the industry representatives to support the government’s efforts to relocate the tanneries to industrial parks that were equipped with proper waste management facilities and comply with environmental regulations. He said that the relocation would overcome environmental, social and economic concerns related to the tanning industry. The project will increase worldwide demand for Pakistani leather garments and other leather products.