ISLAMABAD, Feb 16 (APP): Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Marri on Thursday said ensuring peace and an enabling environment in the country was a prerequisite for the budding businesses to flourish.
Unfortunately due to turmoil in Pakistan in recent years, the business community, particularly, foreign investors, had faced many hardships, she said, adding continuity of democracy was imperative to solve the issues.
Shazia Marri, who is also Chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), was speaking here at the CEO Summit titled “Turn around Pakistan: Reshaping The Future of Pakistan”.
The minister expressed optimism that Pakistan would soon come out of troubling times and would be on track to tranquility and prosperity.
There was a need to build a narrative against disinformation being propagated against the country and the government needed to play the lead role in building a progressive narrative, he added.
Marri said Pakistan was not short of talent, however, there was a need to provide platforms to all budding businesses in Pakistan. “Youth, which comprises a big chunk of the country’s population, is our most valuable asset which needs to be cultivated.”
She commended the role of the CEO Club in digitizing the country.
She said foreign investment was directly linked with the country’s security situation.
The minister said the Benazir Income Support Programme supported flood victims with a cash amount of Rs 25,000 per family and urged the business community to join hands with the BISP in supporting nine million deserving families.
Through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the business community might extend its support to the deserving people of Pakistan through the BISP, she added.
Besides ambassadors and businessmen, the summit was also attended by Federal Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, who also spoke to the audience.
