The Pakistan Business Council (PBC) congratulated Prime Minister Shahid Khakan Abassi on including four women amongst the seven representing Pakistan at the World Economic Forum at Davos. Against an average female representation of 21%, Pakistan's 60% is by far an outlier at Davos.
Accompanying the PM were Saira Afzal Tarar, Minister of Health Services, Anusha Rahman Khan, Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Maryam Aurangzeb, Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Shaza Khwaja, MNA. Pakistan's ladies very ably positioned the country positively in the global community.
Gender equality is one of the key pillars of PBC's Centre of Excellence in Responsible Business (CERB) as it seeks to engage with businesses and industry leaders and enable the transformation towards the conduct of responsible business in Pakistan.
Pakistan is signatory to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDG's aim is to promote inclusive and sustainable development and leave no one behind. This per force includes decoupling growth from its impact on the environment. PBC's CERB is committed to private sector growth and uplifting the capacity and capability of Pakistani businesses to address these imperatives.
PBC also welcomed the PM's focus on creating jobs through higher investment. At the Pakistan Economic Forum on 17th January, the PM had endorsed PBC's "Make in Pakistan" thrust to promote livelihoods through value-added exports and from import substitution. PBC awaits the Council that was promised by the PM to align government policies and create a more level playing field to stem the premature deindustrialization of Pakistan. PBC has since issued a list of items that could potentially lift Pakistan's exports to China by $3.3bn.-PR