PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry urged the provincial government to formulate a 10 years long industrial policy and announce special incentives for business and trade growth in the province.SCCI leadership sought KP government intervention to resolve issues being faced by the traders community, which are mostly associated with federal departments.The chamber emphasized the need for representation of relevant businesspeople in various boards of the provincial government departments.It also asserted the proactive role of KPBOIT and KPZDMEC in business and industrial growth in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
This was stated by Junaid Altaf, president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry while speaking to members during a visit of a delegation of provincial ministers led by former Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser here at the chamber house.The provincial minister Mina Khan Afridi, Faisal Khan Tarakai, and Aqiullah Khan, and former provincial minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, former city nazim Zahid Nadeem and others were among the delegation.SCCI senior vice president Muhammad Nadeem, vice president Sabir Ahmad Bangash, Businessman Forum leader and former FPCCI president Ghazanfar Bilour, the chamber’s former presidents Haji Muhammad Afzal, Malik Niaz Ahmad, Hasnain Khursid, Faiz Muhammad Faizi, Fazal Moqeem Khan, and IAP President Ayub Zakori, member of the SCCI’s executive committee Sajjad Zaheer, Abbas Fuad Azeem, Shamsur Rahim, Saifullah Khan, Aftab Iqbal and Adnan Nasir, WCCIP President Qurtul Ain, SVP Zaraa Imtiaz and VP Zareen Akthar, Sohail Javed, Tajir Insaf President Shahid Khan, and traders and industrialists were present at a large number on the occasion.
On the occasion, SCCI former president, senior members and senator Mohsin Aziz also shared his views and proposals through a video message. MS Sadaf Khalid Khan, Director of Silk Road Enterprises and Global Coordinator UK for the Silk Route Festival, also joined the meeting on the video link from London and urged KP businessmen to participate in the upcoming Silk Festival 2026 in Islamabad. We want public-private partnership. KP has vast potential to attract investment in various sectors, says Junaid Altaf. He said KP is at a tall end and its businessmen were being faced with a host of challenges and issues.He said the chamber has intended to hold a grand consultation session on Economic Growth of KPK in the provincial assembly. He noted KP businessmen have immensely suffered due to certain policies of the central and provincial governments and the prolonged closure of borders, calling them the trade routes a lifeline for the trading community. President Junaid Altaf highlighted several issues being faced by the traders community and presented concrete proposals before the provincial ministers and urged the KP government to work together for economic growth of KP and address all those issues which were curtailing the economic and trade activities in the province.Asad Qaiser while speaking on the occasion assured the chamber leadership to take up issues with provincial as well as central government and promised to immediately call a meeting with KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi with the SCCI delegation.
He said the KP business community has a crucial role in the economic development of the country.He asserted pragmatic steps to remove all obstacles in the way of business and trade growth.Asad Qaiser said KP has suffered for the last four decades and its people and business community rendered matchless sacrifices, so they must be facilitated at all levels.He criticized the federal government for imposing taxes on the ex-Fata region, stating that businesses and industries growth already slowed down in KP and its merged districts, so it is completely illogical to impose tax on merged districts.We want a level playing field and equal opportunities, and business and industrial growth.
We are victims of policies.He emphasised the proactive steps for making fully functional of the dryport.Asad Qaiser called for dialogue to end Pak-Afghan conflict and resume trade with Afghanistan and Central Asian countries.He announced holding of a grand Jirga on borders issue, and constitutional rights on July 19.Earlier, the provincial minister Mina Khan and Faisal Khan Tarakai also spoke on the occasion and assured the SCCI leadership to resolve all issues being faced by the trading community on priority basis.The provincial ministers promised that they will hold an immediate meeting of the SCCI delegation with Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. They proposed formation of a joint working committee to highlight issues and resolve them amicably by taking up with relevant authorities at provincial and federal level.
