Pakistan Business Forum has strongly opposed the proposal to establish a Gymkhana Club on nearly 15 acres of valuable research land at the Central Cotton Research Institute in Multan.
The business body immediately sent a formal letter to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. They demanded swift rejection of the district administration’s summary on land transfer.
PBF Highlights Long-Term Agricultural Risks
Research Land Faces Serious Threat
PBF President Khawaja Mahboob-ur-Rehman warned that handing over this land for recreational purposes would damage Pakistan’s agricultural economy. Officials allocated the 115-acre plot in 1970 specifically for cotton research. Today only 100 acres remain.
Developers already used 15 acres for projects of MEPCO, WAPDA, NHA, and WASA in the past. Currently 20 acres hold institute infrastructure while scientists conduct active cotton trials on the remaining 80 acres.
The institute continues vital work despite financial challenges. Scientists developed superior cotton varieties including Cyto-547 and CRIS-682. Farmers now grow Cyto-547 across lakhs of acres in Punjab. One variety covers nearly 40 percent of cotton area in Sindh.
Call for Immediate Government Action
PBF insists the Chief Minister must cancel the summary sent by Multan district administration. This step will safeguard cotton research, agricultural innovation, and national food security interests.
CCRI Multan Spokesman Sajid Mahmood fully supported PBF’s position.
He stressed that the land represents decades of scientific effort and field experiments. Protecting it remains essential for cotton farmers and the national economy. The business forum copied the letter to the Secretary of National Food Security and Research. This ensures federal awareness about the potential loss of strategic research assets.
Experts believe such moves could discourage future agricultural investments. Pakistan already faces multiple challenges in boosting crop productivity. Losing prime research land would send a wrong signal to scientists and farmers alike.
PBF called upon all stakeholders to prioritize national agricultural needs over short-term recreational projects. The forum continues to monitor the situation closely and vows to raise the issue at higher forums if necessary.