Swabi  -  Leaders of the Swabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Gadoon Estate announced on Thursday that 65 units have closed down in Gadoon Amazai Industrial Estate (GAIE) in the past month, resulting in the layoff of 15,000 workers by industrialists who had no other option. This statement was made during a gathering where the results of the SCCI elections were announced, electing Fazal Rahim Jadoon as president, Fazal-e-Amin as senior vice-president, and Nadeem Khan as vice-president.

The newly elected officials will assume their positions on October 1st, when the current cabinet will dissolve. It was also announced that the number of SCCI associate members has reached 700, and corporate members now total 400, establishing the Swabi CCI as a robust entity for district industrialists.

Addressing the attendees, former president of the SCCI Liaqat Ahmad Khan recalled that Gadoon Estate was established in 1988 after seven individuals lost their lives during the destruction of poppy crops by law enforcement agencies in the mountainous region of Gadoon Amazai.

 He noted that it was decided at that time that poppy cultivators would abandon their crop cultivation, with alternative livelihoods provided at GAIE.

Fazal Rahim Jadoon, the newly elected president, highlighted that political instability in the province has severely crippled the industry, leading to the closure of industrial units and the loss of livelihoods for workers, which in turn has generated numerous additional problems. He questioned, “Who is responsible for the industrial mess? What is a possible solution? How can industrialists secure their future? We are running from pillar to post to resolve these issues and fulfill our role in the province’s industrialization.”

Mohammad Israr, former president of the chamber, emphasized that industrial units in Gadoon Estate now belong to local residents, who urgently need an uninterrupted power supply to operate their industries. He pointed out that despite GAIE being located near Tarbela Dam, they are still struggling to obtain electricity.

Fazal-e-Amin stated that during their tenure over the next two years, they will work toward a complete revival of Gadoon Estate to create jobs and save the billions of rupees invested by industrialists from going to waste. However, he stressed that they require the provincial government’s assistance in this endeavor.