MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Iftikhar Gilani has announced plans to introduce a one-window facility to simplify registration and other formalities for investors, as part of efforts to promote industrial development and attract investment.

He also directed the Department of Mineral Resources to simplify procedures for the grant of large and small mining leases and called for greater focus on exploiting the territory’s mineral potential.

Chairing a meeting of the Industries, Commerce and Mineral Resources Department, Mr Gilani said the government would provide investors with security and all possible facilities to create a conducive environment for industrial growth.

He said the government would also simplify the registration of industrial plots and address investors’ problems on a priority basis.

Industrial development was essential for expanding economic activity, creating employment opportunities and strengthening the local economy, he said, adding that the government would continue to pursue investment-friendly policies to expand the industrial sector.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Industries, Commerce, Mineral Resources and Tourism Chaudhry Abdul Rehman Arain, Principal Secretary Sardar Adnan Khurshid, who also serves as Secretary Industries and Commerce, and other officials, who briefed the prime minister on the department’s affairs.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2026