Daily Times

The Balochistan Summit 2025, aimed at promoting business, investment, joint ventures industrialization and global scale trade activities in the province, will be organized on January 27-28, 2025 in Islamabad.

The Balochistan Board of Investment & Trade (BBoIT) and Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FPCCI) will jointly organize the two day event, Atif Ikram Sheikh, President FPCCI, informed in a statement issued here on Tuesday.

The FPCCI chief reiterated apex body’s stance that Balochistan needs special attention of the government for flourishing economic activities and attract investment in the province including industrialization, tax waivers and incentives, setting up special economic zones (SEZs), establishing Bank of Balochistan on the lines of other provinces and maintenance of law and order.

Vice Chairman, Balochistan Board of Investment & Trade (BBoIT), Bilal Khan Kakar, explained that the motive behind taking FPCCI on-board this year is have the backing of the entire business, industry and trade community of Pakistan; and, ensuring their participation in the Balochistan Summit 2025 – as FPCCI represents all 284 chambers, trade bodies and industry associations of Pakistan across all sectors of the national economy.

Saquib Fayyaz Magoon, SVP FPCCI, maintained that like Bank of Punjab, Bank of Khyber and Sindh Bank, the federal and provincial governments should facilitate the establishment of the Bank of Balochistan to enhance industries’ access to finance. “Only a full-fledged and dedicated bank can fill the yawning vacuum in business and industrial financing in the province,” he added.

Nasir Khan, VP FPCCI from Balochistan, highlighted shrinking youth employment opportunities and urged to support SME sector the real engine of growth and employment generation, and setting up an insurance company in Balochistan. He also proposed a public-private partnership (3P) model for setting up institutions or organizations that create and support an ecosystem for a thriving business environment.

Mian Zahid Hussain, Chairman FPCCI-PAB, highlighted the fact that the people of Balochistan are resilient; and, business, commercial, trade, investment, industrial and economic activities in the province are going on due to their dynamism. However, cottage industries and MSME sector should be protected to keep the provincial economy afloat.

Senior member FPCCI and former CPLC Chief Ahmed Chinoy, highlighted the need for a major marketing and PR campaign for Balochistan to attract domestic and foreign direct investment (FDI) into the province through assuring the investors and entrepreneurs full safety and security. FPCCI will be fully supporting the armed forces and the government in all such endeavors, he added.