SWABI: The Gadoon Industrial Estate was originally established in exchange for a complete ban on poppy cultivation by the people of Gadoon, with the aim of providing the region with alternative employment, economic development, and industrial stability. However, in the year 2025, the estate appears to be drifting away from original spirit and purpose.
According to statistics, out of the 326 industries located in the estate, only 162 are currently functional.While 43 factories are under construction, 98 industrial units have completely shut down.The closure of these industries has left hundreds of labourers unemployed, causing the local population to suffer from severe economic hardship and poverty.
Asim Ali, Senior Vice President of the Gadoon Industrial Association; Syed Hamidullah Shah, Vice President; Engineer Tanveer Farooq, Manager of the Gadoon Economic Zone; and other industrialists while talking to The News stated that immediate and concrete steps from both the federal and provincial governments are needed to promote industry and eliminate unemployment.
They demanded that the federal government fix the electricity tariff at 22 rupees per unit and also fix gas prices to reduce the increasing production burden on industries and allow closed units to be restored.They emphasized that expensive electricity and gas have become the biggest challenges for Gadoon’s industry.
The industrialists demanded that the Gadoon Industrial Estate must be linked to the motorway.A lack of a motorway link results in additional costs for the transportation of raw materials and finished goods, which is badly affecting the industry’s competitiveness.
