FAISALABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday performed the groundbreaking ceremony of the state-of-the-art Allama Iqbal Industrial City in Faisalabad.
The premier was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, and Planning Minister Asad Umar. He also planted a sapling on the occasion.
He was briefed about the industrial city which has been planned over an area of four thousand acres and was strategically located on Motorway M-4 near Sahianwala Interchange, Faisalabad.
Addressing the ceremony, Prime Minister Khan said industrialisation leading to increased exports is key to eradicate poverty from the country. This specialized economic zone is a major step towards the realisation of China Pakistan Economic Corridor, he added.
He maintained CPEC is a golden chance for the country to develop, eulogizing the Chinese model of development. He said Chinese investors and entrepreneurs are keen to invest in various sectors of the country.
The prime minister said Chinese businesses are also willing to transfer vital technology to Pakistan. He added China uplifted 700 million people from poverty in three decades which is unprecedented in world history.
Dubbing industrialisation as a major source of employment creation in the country, he said the pace of industrialisation in Pakistan was very fast in the 1960s. But, he added, unfortunately, this lost momentum due to policies adopted in the 1970s.
Underscoring the need to change the national mindset regarding industrialisation, he said money-making and wealth creation are not bad things for the society. He said Pakistan also needs to enhance its agricultural produce to gain maximum benefit of the favorable land and climate. He said tourism is another sector which has a lot of potential in the country and it needs harnessing.
