By Asad CHeema
ISLAMABAD: President, SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SAARC CCI), Iftikhar Ali Malik has said that he will focus on improving Pakistan’s trade relations with SAARC member states. He said that he will use SAARC CCI platform for developing strong networking and business linkages between the private sectors of SAARC countries to capitalize on the trade potential of SAARC Region.
Iftikhar Malik stated this while talking to a delegation of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) led by its President Muhammad Ahmed Waheed which called on him here on Thursday and congratulated him on assuming the charge of President, SAARC CCI. The delegation also congratulated Zubair Ahmed Malik, former President ICCI for his election as Executive Member SAARC CCI.
Tahir Abbasi Senior Vice President, Saif ur Rehman Khan Vice President ICCI, Mian Akram Farid Chairman ICCI Founder Group, SheikhTariq Sadiq, Mian Shaukat Masud, Muhammad Ejaz Abbasi, Ch. Waheed ud Din, Atif Ikram Sheikh, Sheikh Amir Waheed, Karim Aziz Malik, Malik Sohail Hussain, Muhammad Naveed Malik, Mahmood Ahmed Warraich, Muhammad Shakeel Munir, Ashfaq Chatha and others were in the delegation. Mian Anjum Nisar, President FPCCI, Senator Haji Ghulam Ali Vice President SAARC CCI and others were also present at the occasion.
Addressing the delegation, Iftikhar Malik said that trade among SAARC region was just 7%, which was far less than the trade among other regional blocks like EU ASEAN and NAFTA and improving trade among SAARC region would be his key priority. He thanked ICCI delegation for congratulating him and assured that he would work in cooperation with trade bodies of Pakistan to explore new opportunities for Pakistani business community in SAARC region. He further said that he would try to complete the building of SAARC CCI Headquarters in Islamabad to make it functional.
Speaking on the occasion, President ICCI Muhammad Ahmed Waheed congratulated Iftikhar Ali Malik on taking over charge as President SAARC CCI and hoped that his tenure would be instrumental in starting a new era of growing trade and economic relations among SAARC member states. He said that Iftikhar Ali Malik was an experienced business leader with great exposure in SAARC countries and his election as President SAARC CCI would bring beneficial outcomes for the economy of Pakistan. He said that Iftikhar Ali Malik should focus on promoting business linkages between young entrepreneurs of SAARC countries that would be helpful in boosting trade in SAARC Region.
The President ICCI further said that Zubair Ahmed Malik has detailed knowledge on SAARC countries and hoped that as Executive Member SAARC CCI, he would contribute to promoting business interests of SAARC countries. He said that if appropriate steps were taken to remove trade barriers and streamline custom procedures, intra-regional trade in SAARC countries could be increased manifold. He assured that ICCI would extend full cooperation to him in his endeavours aimed at enhancing Pakistan’s trade and exports with SAARC member states.
Mian Akram Farid, Chairman, ICCI Founder Group said that Iftikhar Ali Malik has rendered outstanding services for the business community of Pakistan in various capacities and hoped that his elevation to the Presidency of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry would bridge the trade gap and strengthen trade relations among SAARC region.
He said that SAARC countries have the potential to achieve better economic growth by utilizing the natural resources of each other. He said that Nepal has plenty of hydropower potential while some other countries have comparative advantages in various fields and hoped that Iftikhar Ali Malik would play role to exploit the natural sources of SAARC region for the sustainable economic development of SAARC countries.
