Only Half of 35 Special Economic Zones in Pakistan Are Operational

Only half of total Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Pakistan are operational while the rest are either under development or will soon be opened for businesses and investors, according to documents seen by ProPakistani. In Pakistan, there are 35 SEZs; four of these are being developed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Out of the 35 SEZS, 17 are public, 16 are private, and 2 operate under public-private partnership mode. Nine of the private SEZs are sole enterprise SEZs (SESEZ), while the other 26 are multi-industry SEZs. The 35 SEZs span across 18,591 acres. Currently, 18 multi-industry SEZs are operational with active investment interest, while 8 are under development and will soon become operational. There are 587 zone enterprises housed in the said 18 SEZs of which 193 units are in operation, while the rest are under construction, most of which have been admitted in less than 24 months. Regarding Khairpur SEZ, it covers an area of 140 acres, with 81.2 acres of industrial land. There are 13 zone enterprises housed in Khairpur SEZ on 37 acres of industrial land.