ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani sports goods manufacturer and a leading Chinese investment firm this week signed a cooperation agreement through which they plan to establish 16 shoe production lines in Pakistan, state media reported on Saturday.
China’s Huaxin (Shenzhen) Investment Group and Forward Group signed the cooperation agreement in Islamabad on August 4. The agreement was signed by Liao Yiquan, chairman of China Huaxin (Shenzhen) Investment Group and Khawaja Masood Akhtar, chairman of Pakistan’s Forward Group.
As per the agreement, the two companies will focus on developing a footwear and apparel overseas production base and expanding cross-border trade cooperation, the state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.
“The project plans to establish 16 sports shoe production lines in Pakistan, with an annual capacity of tens of millions of pairs,” APP reported on Saturday.
The state media did not elaborate when the two companies will establish the production lines by.
Ahmed Fawad Farooq, secretary-general of the Pakistan Footwear Manufacturers Association, said advanced equipment and technologies from Chinese companies could support the upgrading of Pakistan’s sports footwear industry.
“The cooperation will leverage China Huaxin (Shenzhen) Investment Group’s manufacturing and supply chain capabilities from the China-based Chengdu-Chongqing footwear and apparel industrial park to advance footwear industry cooperation between China and Pakistan,” APP reported.
Forward Sports is a flagship subsidiary of the Forward Group. Based in Sialkot, Forward Sports manufactured the ‘Trionda’ ball that was used in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Trionda features a four-panel design and incorporates connected-ball technology that helps match officials make decisions during games.
As per media reports, Pakistani manufacturers in Sialkot produce around 70 percent of the world’s hand-sewn footballs, with annual output exceeding 40 million units.
