SIALKOT

PPP leader and former federal minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has hinted at the possibility of a political alliance between her party and the PTI for giving a hard time to the ruling PML-N in the coming local bodies polls in Punjab.
Talking to newsmen after addressing conference, she said that a strategy had already been finalised under which both the PTI and PPP will go ahead politically by walking together even to field joint candidates where needed to give a very tough time to PML-N in upcoming elections.
She said that PPP and PTI now had the common goal of defeating the PML-N. These main parties would soon join their hands against PML-N after announcing a grand political alliance ahead of the coming LB polls in Punjab, she said.
Replying to a question, she expressed grave concern over the rising anti-Pakistan extremism activities in India by the extremist Hindus of the Shiv Sena. She said that the rising incidents of smearing the faces of the human rights activists in India by the extremist Shiv Sena had been presenting the black face of India before the world and showing its actual audios face.
She urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to adopt a very bold stance against India and take up the nasty matter of rising anti-Pakistan activities to all the international forums. She said that it was the high time to teach some unforgettable lessons to Indian extremists by adopting a bold and courageous stance in this regard.
“Pakistani political leadership should take offensive steps against Indian extremists instead of taking the defensive measure,” she added. “Pakistan should adopt some effective, positive and bold steps despite fighting a war of the words to halt anti-Pakistan activities.”
Dr Awan narrated that it was great misfortune of India that it always remained failed to play a good neighbour’s role. She said that India was encouraging and promoting the politics and diplomacy of clash with Pakistan.
She also urged India to be a good neighbour and give up its all the aggressive policies for establishing the durable peace in the region by resolving all the issues including the Kashmir dispute amicable.
SCCI MEETING HELD: Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Mansur Ahmed said that the export earnings of Sialkot stand at US $ 1.8 billion annually.
He said that the Sialkot exporters earn precious foreign exchange to the tune of US $ 1.8 billion annually and play a pivotal role in strengthening the national economy and boosting the exports. He stated this while addressing a meeting of the SCCI Departmental Committees held at the SCCI Auditorium.
He gave a detailed briefing on Sialkot’s unique export culture and Sialkot’s marvelous socio-economic development on self-help basis by Sialkot business community.
He revealed that export-oriented Sialkot city has successfully followed the examples of Japan, Germany, Korea, Taiwan and other countries in development of SME culture in Sialkot, as the Sialkot based SMEs have been producing only exportable items and enjoy special status in the international market for its products. “Government and other financial institutions are lending support to the export sector and we are foreseeing growth of exports and development of SMEs at a fast pace in Sialkot,” he said.
The participants of the meeting were said that the Sialkot is the only export-oriented city of Pakistan, where 99 percent industrial production is meant for exports. The products including sports goods, surgical instruments, leather products, textile items, martial arts uniforms & accessories, musical instruments, knives & cutlery items and military uniform badges etc, produced in Sialkot are exported to all parts of the world, he said.
Sialkot made footballs, filed hockey sticks, cricket gears and sports wears are used in Olympics, World Cups, Asian Games and other international events. Similarly, the surgical instruments are being imported by most of the developed countries from Sialkot-Pakistan for re-export purposes under their own brand names. In leather garments, leather gloves and textile sports wears, Sialkot exporters are competing with other countries in quality.
The SCCI president highly hailed the unique export culture of Sialkot. He said that the Sialkot businessmen also have better awareness about the industrial set up of Sialkot and socio-economical development projects.
He urged the chairmen of SCCI’s the departmental committees to devote their full energies and capabilities for the promotion of the Sialkot exports with full dedication. The meeting was told that universal remedy of the developing world lies in a vibrant and vigorous economy, which alone could address poverty alleviation and un-employment.