Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders (ICST) on Sunday said that the US threats and the internal political turmoil should not be allowed to affect the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.

“Similarly, conspiracies of the enemy nations and forces inside the country that oppose this project should be monitored to foil their unholy designs,” the ICST said.

“Politicians should stop pushing personal agenda and think about national interests at this critical juncture,” said ICST Patron Shahid Rasheed Butt.

He said that China and Pakistan should expedite work on the project so that it could be completed well in time which will bring conspiracies and rumors to an end.

Shahid Rasheed Butt said that enemy countries were trying their best to damage the project while their agents in Pakistan who had damaged many mega projects were now also conspiring against CPEC.

“The government must take note of the situation and forge consensus on the project. It will allow the masses to reap the fruits of the multi-billion dollar Chinese initiative,” he added.

“We are not short of elements who have played a central role in damaging mega projects in past to keep country destabilised,” he said.

“Unending disputes over the economic corridor and slow pace of work may disappoint Chinese leadership to an extent that they opt for alternatives which will be unfortunate at this juncture when relations with the US are at the lowest ebb,” he said.

He said that signing documents and issuing statements were not enough as the rest of the work on CPEC should be completed as soon as possible.

“Lack of seriousness, disputes with provinces and red tape has delayed the project, which has frustrated Chinese as well as local and foreign investors who are watching all the developments,” he said.

Roundtable of women chambers: Federation Of Pakistan Chambers Of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) president Zubair Tufail said on Sunday that women empowerment was central to the national development. “Therefore, the government, as well as private sector, should do their best to achieve this goal. Women empowerment not only benefits them but also help men, women, society, community and the overall economy of a country,” he said, while speaking at the first-ever ‘Round-Table Discussion on Challenges, Suggestions, and Solutions’ arranged by the Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry. A majority of the women chambers from around the country participated in the event. Zubair Tufail said that government had taken steps for women empowerment. “However, a lot needs to be done as women are being denied their rights all around the globe which in turn compromises growth,” he said.

He said that the roundtable would go a long way in the resolution of issues as there was a communication gap and lack of interaction among the various women chambers of Pakistan.

Senator Mian Muhammad Ateeq said that increasing responsibilities and lesser opportunities along with narrow exposure had always been a great challenge for Pakistani women.

Published in Daily Times, August 28^th 2017.