The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) has announced the organization of a grand “Shopping Festival” during the third Ashra of Ramadan, set to take place from the 20th to the 30th of Ramadan. The event will be held across major shopping centers in Islamabad in collaboration with key stakeholders, including the Chainstore Association of Pakistan (CAP), Traders Welfare Associations (TWAs), Capital Development Authority (CDA), and IESCO. The festival aims to boost economic activity while benefiting both customers and the business community.

The announcement was made by Nasir Mansoor Qureshi, President of ICCI, during a combined meeting with office bearers of CAP, TWAs, and other business community leaders at ICCI. The attendees agreed to form a committee to implement the event and ensure its success, with the goal of generating economic activity and contributing to the country’s financial well-being.

ICCI President Qureshi emphasized the chamber’s dedication to accelerating economic activities by fostering a business-friendly environment for its members. He also acknowledged the challenges faced by the community, particularly bureaucratic red tape, and vowed to address these issues to keep the economic engine running for the benefit of the country. He expressed confidence that the successful execution of the “Shopping Festival” would be a significant milestone for ICCI and that the chamber would continue to pursue other initiatives to revive economic activities.

Rana Tariq Mehboob, Patron in Chief/Co-Founder of CAP, informed the attendees about the core objectives of the association, emphasizing its role as a strong advocate for the organized retail sector at governmental, institutional, and international levels. He also highlighted the challenges the sector faces, particularly with regard to irrational taxes.

The leadership of CAP, including Chairman Asfandyar Farrukh, Senior Vice Chairman Ahsan Mehmood, and Secretary General Malik Asim Dogar, expressed full support for the “Shopping Festival” and underscored the importance of unity among the business community.

Senior Vice President of ICCI, Abdul Rehman Siddiqui, and Vice President Nasir Mehmood Chaudhry shared that the Chamber would handle the essential groundwork, including obtaining the necessary NOCs from relevant authorities. The festival will feature various stalls, including those offering food and beverages, handicrafts, lucky draws, gifts, kids' areas, and Mehndi and bangle activities.

Shahzad Shabbir Abbasi, Naeem Akhtar Awan, Raja Javaid Iqbal, Waheed Cheema, and Ahmed Khan, Presidents of Traders Welfare Associations from different shopping centers, expressed their gratitude to the Chamber for proposing the event and showed great enthusiasm for participating in the initiative.

Additionally, ICCI members present at the meeting included Executive Members Rohail Anwar Butt, Aamir Raheem Qureshi, Waseem Chaudhry, Zulqurnain Abbasi, Ishaq Sial, as well as ICCI members Khalid Chaudhry and Naeem Siddiqui.