ISLAMABAD, Apr 11 (APP):Governor Balochistan Malik Abdul Wali Khan Kakar invited the business community of Islamabad to capitalize on the natural resources of the province by utilizing investment opportunities to generate more business activities.
He said this while addressing as the chief guest at an Iftar Dinner hosted by the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI)in his honor, the preceding day, said the press release.
He said that his province was endowed with great natural resources including the Reko Diq and Saindak projects, adding the development of Reko Diq would make Balochistan a hub of direct foreign investment and create a lot of economic benefits to Pakistan.
Similarly, Saindak copper and gold project had the potential to make Balochistan prosperous and strengthen Pakistan’s economy. He said that due to these untapped natural resources, the people of Balochistan were facing great economic problems and emphasized that the business community should exploit them to bring progress and prosperity to the province.
The governor said that the business community was the backbone of the economy and invited the ICCI delegation to visit Balochistan where he would connect them with their counterparts to explore joint ventures and business partnerships.
He said that he would try to visit Iran and Afghanistan to highlight the investment potential of Balochistan to the investors of these neighboring countries.
President ICCI Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari said that Pakistan was facing a dollar crisis and the development of Reko Diq and Saindak could bring billions of dollars to Pakistan and enable it to get rid of foreign debt.
He urged the government to take all possible measures to establish peace in the province that would enable the investors to tap these natural resources. He said that the development of Gwadar Port and Gwadar Industrial Estate should be expedited to make Balochistan a hub of business activities.
He also called on the authorities to connect Balochistan through road and railways links with Iran and Afghanistan to increase the regional trade. He said that the development of the blue economy in Balochistan could bring great benefits to the country.
Faad Waheed, Senior Vice President ICCI said that Balochistan offers great investment opportunities, and establishing a better law and order situation and improving the security would enable the business community to take benefit of the untapped natural resources of Balochistan.