Venue of Saarc CCI moot changed

The venue of Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI's) important presidential meeting, in the wake of assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, has now been changed from Karachi to New Delhi.
Iftikhar Ali Malik who will take over as next Vice President of SCCI Pakistan chapter for a two-year term told APP here Saturday that earlier 41st executive committee meeting of SCCI was scheduled to be held in Karachi which now due to disturbance will be held in New Delhi on January 13.
President SCCI Dasho Ugen Tasechup Dorji will chair the executive committee meeting and formally hand over the SCCI Presidentship to Pakistan (Tariq Sayeed) for next two-year term while Iftikhar Ali Malik, a former President FPCCI, LCCI and founder President Pak-US Business Council will take over as new Vice President SCCI Pakistan chapter.
A 10-member high level delegation of private sector led by President Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry Tanvir Ahmad Sheikh will participate in the meeting which comprises Tariq Sayeed, Iftikhar Ali Malik, Zubair F Tufail, Mahmood Ahmad,Shakeel Dhingra,Faiz Rasool,Mian Muhammad Idress, Waqar Ahmad, Jamil Mahboob Magoon.
Iftikhar Ali Malik said that Chambers' presidents of Bangladesh, India, Bhuttan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Pakistan along with members of executive committee from their respective countries will also attend the meeting.
After 14 years Pakistan will head the SCCI which was established 14 years ago. With the dawn of year 2008, one full presidential cycle of rotation between Saarc countries will be completed. Iftikhar Ali Malik said that objective of SCCI includes awareness building, developing global linkage, providing services to private sector and working closely with governments and developing an institutional framework for promoting economic co-operation in the region.
He said area of focus includes regional and economic co-operation in South Asia, Trade liberalisation, economic policy reforms, harmonisation of standards, intellectual property rights, tourism promotion, SMEs and women entrepreneur development and energy co-operation.