A delegation of Islamabad Industrial Association (IIA) led by its President Zikria A. Zia visited Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) and stressed that ICCI should step up its efforts with the relevant government authorities for a new industrial zone in the Capital to boost industrialization and exports. The delegation also congratulated the new Office Bearers of ICCI and hoped that they would play an effective role in resolving the key issues of local industry.

Addressing the delegation, Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry said that Islamabad was experiencing rapid urbanization and population growth, but unemployed young talent was being wasted due to lack of jobs. He said that industrialization was the best option to absorb youth in jobs. He said that many investors were keen to set up industries in the Islamabad region but due to absence of a new industrial zone, they were unable to make new investments. He emphasized that the government should cooperate with ICCI in early materialization of this important project that would yield multiple benefits for the economy. He assured the delegation that ICCI would make all possible efforts to address their highlighted issues.

Faad Waheed Senior Vice President, Muhammad Azhar ul Islam Zafar Vice President ICCI and Khalid Iqbal Malik Group Leader said that the economy of Pakistan was facing multiple challenges and the government should focus on promoting investment and industrialization that would help revive the economy and overcome economic problems of the country.

The delegation members said that the CDA Board in a meeting had agreed to charge Rs.100,000/- per kanal for lease extension of industrial plots instead of 1% of current market price of the industrial plot, but the decision has not been implemented as yet. They said that ICCI should take up this issue with CDA for early implementation of its decision. They said that the country was likely to face gas shortage in winter as the government could not get any bidder for a long-term contract for LNG import and said that ICCI should work with the government to save the local industry from gas loadshedding. They called upon the government to revise power tariffs for industry in order to reduce the high production cost and make our exports more competitive in the international markets.

Prominent industrialists including Khalid Javed, Mian Akram Farid, Tariq Sadiq, Mian Shaukat Masud, Muhammad Ejaz Abbasi, Nasir Qureshi, Shaban Khalid, Rafat Farid, Iftikhar Anwar Sethi, Waqas Masud, Shaukat Hayat, Hamayun Kabir, Omais Khattack, Bilal Munir, Muhammad Ali Mirza, Mahmood Ahmed Warraich, Muhammad Yahya, Malik Jalil Ahmed Awan, Dr. Muhammad Usman and others were in the delegation.