KARACHI-Centre for Entrepreneurial Development (CED), Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi and Sindh Investment Department (SID) have signed an agreement for conducting a study on constraints being faced by women owned and managed businesses in Karachi.
Dr S Akbar Zaidi, Executive Director, IBA Karachi, and Anwar Ali Shar, Project Director CLICK-SID, signed the agreement. The occasion was graced by Syed Qasim Naveed Qamar, Special Assistant to CM on Investment & PPP Project; Syed Mansoor Abbas Rizvi, Secretary Sindh Investment Department; and other distinguished guests from the SID and IBA Karachi. Dr Zaidi highlighted the importance of the project and its benefits for improving policies to increase participation of women in business activities. He introduced the IBA Project Team, led by Dr Lalarukh Ejaz, Director CED and Assistant Professor, School of Business Studies (SBS); and team members, Dr Khadija Bari, Director PRC and Associate Professor, School of Economics and Social Sciences (SESS), Dr Farah Naz, Chairperson and Assistant Professor, SBS; and Azad Ahmed, Manager, CED-IBA.
Qamar highlighted that strengthening of entrepreneurial ecosystem is one of the priority areas of Sindh government. He hoped that this research project would help in improving regulatory framework in the province and increase the ease of doing business especially for women. 
Shar shared that this is a World Bank sponsored research project under Competitive & Livable City of Karachi (CLICK). This research study will help the policy makers to address the prevailing challenges of the women owned and managed businesses in Karachi. Dr. Ejaz thanked SID and CLICK for the opportunity and presented the project plan, its background, objectives, methodology, contribution, and the impact that the study promises.