Islamabad’s business leaders have been told that work to find land for an Islamabad Special Economic Zone is already under way with the Punjab government, and that the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) — the federal body set up to speed investment decisions — wants the issue settled as soon as possible.
National Coordinator Lieutenant General Asad ur Rehman Afzal Cheema gave that update on 30 October while meeting a delegation of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI). The chamber later issued a press release describing the talks.
Meeting with capital traders
ICCI President Mohammad Zikria Akbar Zia led the visit. Senior Vice President Mohammad Ashfaq Hussain Chatha and Secretary General Ghulam Murtaza also attended. The chamber said it wanted to raise day-to-day hurdles facing firms in the capital and to discuss steps that could lift industrial activity, investment and growth.
Cheema listened to those concerns and said they would be taken to the authorities that can act on them. He also told traders they could lodge regulatory and administrative complaints on the SIFC portal so the council can pass them to the right departments for quicker handling.
Land, exhibitions and Karachi
Zia pressed for a proper site for a modern industrial estate in Islamabad, arguing it would open room for factories to expand, draw fresh capital and create jobs. He also called for an international-standard exhibition and convention centre in the capital to host shows, display Pakistani goods, support exports and give local firms clearer access to foreign buyers.
Cheema said identification of land for the Islamabad Special Economic Zone was proceeding in consultation with Punjab and expressed hope of an early outcome. He backed the idea of a modern exhibition centre near Islamabad for trade and investment. He also pointed to investment openings at the Karachi Industrial Estate and urged the chamber to look at facilities already available there.
Policy consistency and banking complaints
On the wider business climate, Zia pointed to State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) — the central bank — rules on debt recovery and to high port charges, saying both were squeezing firms. He argued that steady, predictable economic policy, lasting at least ten years, was needed if investors were to regain confidence and companies were to plan for the long term.
Aasan alfaaz mein
SIFC ne kaha hai ke Islamabad mein special economic zone ke liye zameen dhoondhne ka kaam Punjab ke saath chal raha hai. Business logon ne industrial estate aur exhibition centre ki maang ki. Unhen SIFC portal par shikayat bhejne ko kaha gaya. Agar yeh zone banta hai to local industry aur naukriyon ke mauqe barh sakte hain.
