President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Mian Abrar Ahmed has expressed his believe that aid coming from United States is evaporated in making feasibilities and other non-productive areas. Speaking at Iftar dinner hosted by KCCI in the honour of diplomatic corps on Tuesday, he said successive governments in Pakistan are relying on aid packages from US which is not good for the country as KCCI believes in trade not aid.
He noted that some part of aid goes to NGOs and some part to other governmental departments. It has no trickle down effect on masses. He strongly believes that US should emphasise on trade not aid in Pakistan. In the month of May, a delegation of KCCI visited USA where during the meetings at US State Department President KCCI gave a new terminology that if all aid has to come to Pakistan from US, it should be for trade only and the new terminology give was "Aid for Trade".
He gave an example of Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) and emphasised that USAID aid should invest in the projects like Metro railway in Karachi, mass transit, energy sector, town planning, road construction, education, medical, mining, marble, granite, rehabilitation and other projects.
Main Abrar Ahmed appeal to world powers to treat Pakistan of 20s as despite of distortion of Pakistan perception in world by media, Pakistan is progressing slowly and steadily. He said world community need to deal with stabilised Pakistan which will help regional countries as well as Europe and America for long lasting peace in the region and for peace in the world.
He appealed to the world community that do not treat Pakistan as Pakistan was 60s and 70s when there were external threats to Pakistan. And Pakistan of 90s when there were internal threats to destabilise Pakistan. Mian Abrar said that world community need to deal with stabilised Pakistan which will help regional countries as well as Europe and America for long lasting peace in the region and for peace in the world.
He said in pursuit of our efforts to develop international business activities, KCCI has embarked upon expansion programme and have formed joint chambers with Indian known as Bombay-Karachi Joint Chamber of Commerce & Industry and joint Chamber with Afghanistan known as Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
Likewise, the chamber also developing a joint Chamber with Czech Republic to be known as Karachi-Prague Joint Chamber of Commerce & Industry which is presently in the final process of formation. The president said that the chamber in its pursuit of developing regional trade is strongly believed that Pakistan is the gateway of 3 important economic blocks.
1:- Iran and Turkey and beyond
2:- Saarc countries viz. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indian, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Afghanistan and Pakistan
3:- On right side oil rich Central Asian Countries Successive governments in Pakistan have miserably failed to exploit and explore geo-political and geo-strategic situation of Pakistan not only for Pakistan itself but for regional countries as well as for Europe and America where all countries can bring in their products to Karachi and Pakistan and re-export to regional markets for a win-win situation to be followed by setting up industries in Pakistan to cater regional markets and to develop trade and industry in the region for all stakeholders that are Asia, Europe and America.
Pakistan is rich in natural resources. Pakistan has second largest coal, salt, copper and marble reserves in the world. Pakistan is one of the largest producers of citrus, apricot, milk, cotton seed, onion, sugarcane and chick peas in the world. These are ample proof of unlimited opportunities available in Pakistan.
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