Discussion with LCCI President Kashif Anwar regarding the meeting with the Army Chief

Lahore (MNP) President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi on Wednesday had an exclusive meeting with the President of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry Kashif Anwar at Governors House to with the purpose to have details of his recent meeting with Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir.

“I wanted to talk to the LCCI because its President Kashif Anwar had a meeting with the Chief of Army Staff”, Dr. Arif Alvi said adding that it was happy to see that Armed Forces are also playing role for economic revival of the country.

He said that the meeting between Chief of Army Staff and LCCI President was like a dialogue on investment from Gulf, political and economic issues.

Kashif Anwar informed Dr. Arif Alvi that the meeting with Chief of Army Staff was positive and constructive during which the issues of rupee devaluation, inflation, taxes, smuggling, energy, international relations, foreign direct investment and charter of economy came under discussion.

First Lady Samina Alvi, LCCI Executive committee Members Raja Hasan Akhtar, Shamim Akhtar, Fareeha Younis, Waseem Yousaf, Director General Trade Organizations Umar Dad Afridi and LCCI Secretary General Shahid Khalil were also part of the meeting.

Dr. Ariv Alvi said that we are hardworking people. We must first look at our past. He said that no heavenly calamity has descended on Pakistan but all the problems we are suffering from are due to our own decisions.

The President of Pakistan said that if people say that the floods are coming, you cannot do routine work with eyes closed. He said that there are many elite classes in the country including politicians, establishment and the business elites, all these elites rule the country together and businessmen bear their burden and pay taxes of the others. They bear the burden of power theft. We want to carry all the weight and keep the status co going.

He said that at present 27 million children are out of school. This is a huge storm. 55000 new schools are needed to send these children to schools. How will they be constructed? This is an emergency situation. An emergency has been declared for out-of-school children in China.

He said that currently the youth are talking about addiction, LGBTQ which is very dangerous. Emphasizing on women empowerment, he said that this fifty-two percent work force is not able to create its capacity in the employment sector, we have cultural and harassment problems, take care of this work force. Earlier in the world only profit was discussed but now workforce and environment also have to be considered.

“I had said in my speech on Independence Day that the foundation of Islam is not the state but society”, he said and added that Lahore Chamber is a very progressive organization and it has a talented leadership. LCCI should focus on talking to its members, conduct surveys, seminars and involve women in working. He said that the First Lady is very keen to work on all these issues.

He said that the rehabilitation of special people is a big problem, there is a federal law that 3to 4 percent of special people will be made part of the workforce. He said that currently there are 140 such trainings of Toyota and NAFTEC which are for special people.