KARACHI, Oct 31: Pakistan Association of Women Enterprises president Begum Salma Ahmed has said the newly-formed Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WCCI) will start functioning after Eid-ul-Fitr.

The memorandum of articles of the association is being registered and due formalities with the commerce ministry are also being completed. Ms Salma has now had the searches conducted and has reserved the title for 90 days.

Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Friday, she said the WCCI would have around 2,000 members, which also include 1,000 members of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Salma Ahmed is the convener of the association and founder members include: Zeenat Said Ahmed, Shaiyanne Malik, Samina Aslam, Farzana Rahman, Sajida Mairaj, Maheen Shahid, Farida Qureishi, Hijab Khoso, Nargis Wassan, Azra Ashafaq Ahmed, Anis Misbah and Parveen Shafiq.

Simultaneously, the women chamber in all the provinces and the federal capital will also be formed, she said, adding the WCCI also planned to hold of the first international conference and exhibition of women entrepreneurs at the end of February 2004 in Karachi.

On other issues, she said the PAWE and the Federation of Indian Women Entrepreneurs (FIWE), led by Rajniagarwal, had signed a declaration on October 11 in Mumbai to form a joint business council of Indo-Pak Women Entrepreneurs.

The council will identify projects where technology can be exchanged by either country for the benefit of women entrepreneurs, besides conducting joint training programmes for the new entrepreneurs in both the countries.

The council will also work towards the development of peace and prosperity in both countries, besides supporting the formation of a Saarc women council for trade and business development to function as part of the main Saarc body.

Aims of the council also include annual exchange of visits for update information and publication of a monthly newsletter and annual women entrepreneur directory.