SIALKOT - The Haj pilgrims are being accorded a welcome upon their arrival at Sialkot International Airport Limited (SIAL) here on Thrusday.

The first Haj flight (PK- 746) of national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) returned from Saudi Arabia and landed at SIAL with 307 male and female pilgrims.

Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Khawaja Masud Akhtar, SIAL General Manager Brig (r) M Nawaz, Manager Public Relations Abdul Shakur Mirza, and senior PIA officials accorded a warm rosy welcome to the pilgrims.

On the occasion, the pilgrims highly hailed the Haj arrangements made by both Pakistani and Saudi governments for the facilitation of the Pakistani pilgrims.

SMEDA TO ESTABLISH 1,000 STITCHING UNITS

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) has announced to establish as many as 1,000 industrial stitching units in Pakistan’s big industrial cities (including Karachi, Lahore, Sialkot and Faisalabad) for boosting and developing the textile industry.

Flight brings 307 male, female Hajis

Senior SMEDA officials stated this while addressing the participants of an awareness-raising seminar held at Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) here on Thursday. SCCI President Khawaja Masud Akhtar presided over the event.

Officials added that SMEDA would provide advanced machinery to the owners of these 1,000 stitching units in active collaboration with the local industrialists belonged to the textile industry.

SCCI President Kh Masud Akhtar said that the SMEDA project of establishing stitching centres would help develop the textile industry on modern lines.