Pak industrialists group leaves for China today

ISLAMABAD: A delegation comprising representatives of 17 Pakistani industrial sectors is scheduled to embark on a crucial visit to China on Saturday (today), with Caretaker Federal Minister for Industries and Production and Commerce Gohar Ejaz as head of the mission.

Notably, most of the participants are from the recently constituted two Export Advisory Councils (EACs) comprising major industrial sector representatives to advise the Ministry of Commerce on pertinent issues.

During the week-long visit, the chief executive officers (CEOs) of diverse industrial groups would engage in signing of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the Chinese leadership across various sectors. The delegation is also set to hold meetings with high-ranking Chinese officials.

Among the notable representatives for specific sectors are Shehzad Ali Malik for agriculture, SM Tanvir for textiles, Zubair Tufail for chemicals, and Farooq Ghani for the home appliances sector. Anwar Ghani will represent the glass industry, Shoaib Sultan marble, Sheikh Sawad Mukhtar fertilizers, Fareed Ahmed fruits and vegetables, Salman Hanif jewellery, and Muhammad Ali Tabba would represent cement sector.

Additionally, Ahsan Bashir, Amir Fayyaz, Sohail Tabba, Mian Muhammad Ahsan and Kamran Ahsan would accompany the delegation, providing further support to the industrial minister.

The visit aims to strengthen economic ties between Pakistan and China, and fostering collaboration and mutually beneficial partnerships in key industrial sectors.

On Nov 22, in a bid to address a year-long decline in exports, particularly in textiles, the government had established two EACs to advise the Ministry of Commerce on pertinent issues.

PPI adds: The Ministry of Commerce Friday announced successful convening of the inaugural meeting of the Export Advisory Council (EAC) here on Friday with Caretaker Commerce Minister Dr Gohar Ejaz in the chair. The meeting discussed realising the ambitious goals outlined in Dr Ejaz’s Vision Pakistan Road to $100 billion exports, says an official statement, issued here on Friday.

The council consists of Mussadiq Zulqarnain, Fawad Anwar, Shahid Surti, Mian Ahsan, Yaqub Ahmed, Aamir Fayyaz Sheikh, Shahid Abdullah and Ahmed Kamal. During the deliberations, the council focused on identifying practical solutions to enhance the competitiveness of Pakistan’s textile industry on the global stage. The council discussed plans to organise a Textile Expo, a dedicated platform, aimed at boosting textile exports. As part of the broader agenda, the council also considered proposals to elevate domestic exports to $50 billion within the next five years. Dr Gohar Ejaz expressed confidence that with concerted efforts and strategic initiatives, Pakistan’s textile exports could reach $50 billion contributing significantly to the country’s economic growth.

The minister envisioned Pakistan’s GDP to rise to $1 trillion, which could increase average per capita income in Pakistan threefold. He emphasised that Pakistan needed export driven growth to alleviate balance of payments problem.