Daily Times

Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) Chief Executive Mian Kashif Ashfaq Saturday greeted Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan for attaining premiership after a long political struggle and hoped that the country would soon be on path to economic revival under his dynamic leadership.

In a statement issued here today, Imran’s historic victory had not only raised Pakistan’s stature in the comity of nations but also gave boost to economic turnaround.

Business community believed that Imran Khan would introduce new economic policies in consultation with private sector, main stakeholder in the country’s economy, he added.

He said, although there was no quick-fix to energy shortage, once the new government stopped leakages and overcame governance issues, it would be able to curtail power outages by at least 30 percent, which would help bring down unemployment graph and improve law and order situation. While assuring his all out support, Mian Kashif said that Imran Khan had made history and his victory was celebrated all over the world that restored the confidence of foreign and local investors.

He expressed the optimism that foreign investment would pour in while country’s economic relations with outer world in general and regional countries in particular would further strengthen.

Mian Kashif hoped that Imran Khan would appoint honest, hardworking and talented officials to run the government departments efficiently and said the government would utilise all available resources to promote furniture sector in Pakistan by imposing complete on its import. He said this sector was badly neglected by the previous governments.

He further said public and private joint efforts have to be made on modern lines to gain optimum access to international markets for locally manufactured furniture and accessories.

He said the potential of furniture industry here in Pakistan is enormous and that within 2-3 years, it could even be double if the government patronized this industry.

He urged the government to establish greater liaison with this sector to fully understand the market conditions and requirements of the industry needs for its protection, development and promotion.

He said the government should also provide more visible support to furniture business in terms of simple and easily obtainable grants for exhibiting and traveling to trade shows and promoting Pak export as a success globally.

He praised the furniture carving industry of Chiniot, Gujrat and Gojra and said that it required the government’s support to get promoted internationally.

Published in Daily Times, August 19^th 2018.