March 21, 2006	Tuesday	Safar 20, 1427

KARACHI, March 20: Women, comprising 48 per cent of Pakistan’s population can play a vital role in country’s economic uplift, President Karachi Chambers of Commerce and Industry Haroon Farooki said here on Monday.

He was speaking at a seminar on “Women Entrepreneurs in Pakistan-opportunities and challenges” jointly organized by the KCCI and Women’s Expo here at Bawani Auditorium.

The KCCI president said that the role of women entrepreneurs all over the world had assumed a high degree of importance for enhancing internal trades and boosting up exports and the resultant economic activities.

Mr Farooki said that in the fast changing business climate in this era of globalization and competition, when a country’s strength depended upon its economic strength, there was a dire need that the women entrepreneur in Pakistan were empowered and encouraged to come forward and join the main stream of economic activities.

He said that the KCCI was focusing on socioeconomic empowerment of the women by encouraging women entrepreneurs in the field of business and commercial activities. The KCCI has formed a Women Entrepreneur Sub-Committee and now we have a plan to reserve a seat for women on the managing committee of the chamber, in future so that the women’s committee gets a female chairman, he added.

Earlier Mian Abrar Ahmad, Chairman Women Entrepreneur Sub-Committee KCCI, in his welcome address stressed the need for women’s participation in the uplift of the economy.

Speaking about the objective of the Women Entrepreneur Sub-Committee, Mian Abrar said the committee encouraged businesswomen to come forward to interact with their business counterparts and to express their business capabilities.

He said that currently around 700 women entrepreneurs were the members of the KCCI and a large number had joined the Women Entrepreneur Committee as its member. The member of Exhibition and Trade Delegations Sub-Committee, Safia Bano, also spoke.—APP