ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry has strongly opposed the CDA move for forwarding a summary to the prime minister to change the status of I-17 from industrial to residential sector and termed it an unwise step as it would badly affect the industrialization and investment in the federal capital. It appealed to the PM not to approve this proposal as it would go against the larger interests of the local economy.
Khalid Iqbal Malik, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairing the meeting of local industrialists said that industrial areas in Islamabad including I-9, I-10 and Kahuta Industrial Triangle have reached the saturation point due to which investors were facing difficulties in setting up new industries in Islamabad. He said due to non-availability of industrial plots, many industrialists were moving to Hattar and other areas to put up new industrial units. He said keeping in view the importance of CPEC, new industrial estate was badly needed in Islamabad to attract investment, promote industrialization and create jobs. He urged that CDA should desist from changing the status of I-17 from industrial to residential sector and focus on its development as a modern industrial estate so that industrial activities could flourish in the region.
Khalid Malik, Senior Vice President and Tahir Ayub, Vice President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that I-17 sector was dedicated a long time ago for the development of industrial estate and emphasized that CDA should not change its status from industrial to residential area at this stage.
Muhammad Ejaz Abbasi, Chairman, ICCI Sub-Committee on CDA briefed the meeting about the background of this project. He said that CDA in collaboration with Chamber had done lot of work in 2008 to develop I-17 as a new industrial estate in Islamabad and it was surprising that the civic body was considering to change its status from industrial to residential area. He said this move was not acceptable to the local industrialists and CDA should immediately withdraw it in the larger interest of the economy.
Khalid Javed, Mian Akram Farid, Sh.Tariq Sadiq, Sh. Amir Waheed, Zafar Bakhtawari, Mehmood Ahmed Warraich, Naeem Siddiqui, Khalid Mian, Khalid Chaudhry and others were present at the occasion. They strongly protested against the latest move of CDA and called upon the government to direct CDA to develop I-17 Sector as a state-of-the-art industrial estate so that this region witness better growth of investment & industrial activities, create more jobs and contribute positively to the economic development of the country.
