KARACHI: Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjarani on Friday urged Karachi’s business community to expand their activities by setting up industrial export units in Gwadar as well as other parts of Balochistan.

Addressing the business community at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), the Senate chairman said Gwadar is fast becoming a trading hub as development work in the port city had picked up pace. He asked Karachi businessmen to invest in Gwadar and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects. Chinese investors are continuously arriving at Gwadar for setting up industrial units, he highlighted. The issue of water scarcity in Gwadar has been resolved and desalination plants have been installed, he added.

“Gwadar, being the only city after Islamabad, is being developed under a master plan aimed at providing all basic facilities. Power supply in the town would be linked with national grid in this fiscal year while development work at Gwadar Port is at advanced stage followed by fast pace development in industrial area,” Senator Sanjarani said. Besides Gwadar, basic infrastructure of overall Balochistan province is being developed which include construction of a number of roads to boost industrial and trading activities, he added.

Sanjrani says water problem in port city has been resolved

On a delicate prevailing situation in Afghanistan, Senator Sanjarani said Pakistan is looking forward for peace in Afghanistan which is necessary for the entire region. All the state institutions look forward to see a peaceful and progressive Afghanistan, he added.

He said he would discuss the issues of Karachi in the Senate as the city is the backbone of country’s economy and sets the direction of country’s economic progress. He urged businessmen to send their proposals so that it could be debated in the Senate sessions and replies would be sought from the concerned ministries.

He added that he would ask the Senate standing committees on commerce, industry and finance to visit KCCI and hold meetings with the businessmen. “I will support the business community of Karachi,” he added.

On the occasion, Chairman Businessmen Group Zubair Motiwala highlighted that Karachi was in a pathetic condition in terms of poor infrastructure. “KCCI wants to give a presentation on Karachi as other cities of the country are prospering while Karachi is suffering. The share of Karachi in country’s exports is 52 per cent while it pays more than 60pc taxes to the national kitty but the port city continues to face severe hardships and injustices. There is a need to provide more funds for Karachi’s development and resolving its pending issues,” he added.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2021