President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), President All Karachi Industrial Alliance (AKIA), Senior Vice Chairman of the Businessmen Panel of FPCCI and former provincial minister, Mian Zahid Hussain on Monday said that United Nations in its recent report on youth development disclosed that 1.4 million youngsters enter job market each year. Around 1.3 million new jobs are required to facilitate them on annual basis. The 64 % youth population is the real asset of the Country; Government is required to take practical measures to include the young population in economic development of the country through quality education, vocational training and development. Majority workforce posses matric or below qualification while the trained workforce is around 15 percent in which females are further below than that.
The Veteran Business Leader while talking to the business community said that Pakistan stands at 150th rank in the global human development index, while in youth development Pakistan is the only non African country in the bottom ten. To develop the young population of the country, better and easy access to education and vocational training is need of time. Half of the country’s population is comprised of women but Pakistan is lowest in women employment in the South Asia. It is required to include women in the economic growth of the country through education, easy access to employment and vocational training.
The Former Minister said that to create employment opportunities in the country, govt. must encourage entrepreneurship and KP base youth development program should be extended at federal level to facilitate the young generation across country. IBA Karachi, LUMS Lahore, NUST Islamabad and IM Sciences Peshawar are taking several measures to promote entrepreneurship, which need to be taken to next level. In addition, ease of doing business and access to finance should be given to aspirant and talented entrepreneurs so that new employment opportunities may be created.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that it is appreciative that Pakistan is progressing economically, socially, politically and culturally; law and order situation in the country is much better and stable while trade, investment and industrial sustainability is observed. PTI govt. should take practical measures to fulfil its promise of providing 10 million jobs in five years. The 5 million housing projects and completion of CPEC will however improve the employment situation in the country.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Progress on TAPI is in partners’ interest: Mian Zahid Hussain
President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), President All Karachi Industrial Alliance (AKIA), Senior Vice Chairman of the Businessmen Panel of FPCCI and former provincial minister, Mian Zahid Hussain on Wednesday said that early completion of TAPI gas pipeline project will benefit the entire region particularly the participating countries including Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. 3.3 billion cubic feet gas will be transmitted through 1814 KM long pipeline from Turkmenistan to India via Afghanistan and Pakistan to curb gas demand of these countries. Employment, industry and economy will flourish through this extremely beneficial project in addition to regional prosperity and peace.
The Veteran Business Leader while talking to the business community said that signing of hosting agreement between Pakistan and Turkmenistan is valuable step towards completion of this long awaited project which is comprised of two phases of $ 6 billion and $ 2 billion respectively. Initial completion estimation for the project was 2020, but due to war in Afghanistan, the project has been delayed. Security of the pipeline is still a big challenge in the wars affected country for which fool proof security measures are vital and should be planned collectively by the participating countries. Civil work has been started last year in Afghanistan and ground breaking of the project is expected this year in Pakistan as quoted by the Petroleum minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan.
[ads1]
The Former Minister said that ministers from Turkmenistan met the energy minister Omer Ayub and decision of forming working group on transmission of 1000 MW electricity has taken which will create new investment opportunities and strengthen the bilateral trade between two countries. The inter connectivity of the grids in the region and completion of CPEC projects will attract more investors to the region which will help in economic stability of this region.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that during the ministerial level meetings of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan training facility for banking sector has been extended to Turkmenistan. Both countries agreed to form collective strategy to fight money laundering which is an example of brotherly relations between both countries.
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
Mian Zahid Hussain suggests more govt efforts over FATF spoil Tactics
President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), President AKIA, Senior Vice Chairman of the Businessmen Panel of FPCCI and former provincial minister Mian Zahid Hussain on Friday said that Financial Action Task Force is an International Organization that measures against money laundering and terror financing around the world and on that basis it includes different Countries to a Green, Gray or Blacklist. Chairperson of Senate Standing Committee for Interior, Rehman Malik requested with the FATF to inquire against India on which the FATF responded that the inquiry against a Country is outside their mandate which is totally wrong.
On the American complaint against Pakistan FATF added Pakistan to a Grey list, while Pakistan has requested the inquiry against India with concrete evidence has been rejected, which is quite sufficient to expose the dual policy and political objectives of the International Organization.
Mian Zahid Hussain told the Business Community that India is Co-Chair of the inquiry committee made against Pakistan and is wrongly using its position to mislead FATF for getting Pakistan blacklisted. Finance Minister Asad Umer has adopted this stand in demanding to remove India from Co-Chair ship of the inquiry committee against Pakistan, saying that India is taking an advantage of its position to prevent Pakistan from Economic growth because of its Pakistan’s rivalry. India is engaged in conspiracies and lobbying against Pakistan Internationally. The International community should take notice of using the FATF against Pakistan and play its role to foil the political stunt against Pakistan
The veteran business leader said that sacrifices of Pakistan against terrorism are not hidden from anyone. Pakistan had lost more than 50,000 citizens, including 6 thousand military officials and an economic loss of $130 Billion in the war against terrorism, which has acknowledged worldwide. In order to prevent money laundering and terror financing Pakistani institutions including FBR, State Bank and FIA took major actions and let FATF know the positive results of them from time to time. Since 2015, more than 4000 suspicious transactions have been halted, out of which 1200 means 32 percent have been stopped in 2018 alone, which is a huge success and further measures are also being taken rapidly.
The former Minister expressed that Pakistan needs to take more steps to strengthen political and diplomatic links internationally. All the resources and capabilities to be used to attract international support in Pakistan’s favour and to stop India from using the neutral international forum of FATF against Pakistan as well as the practical implementation of the recommendations of FATF to ensure that the conspiracy of blacklisting Pakistan could be destroyed.