Director General Airport Security Force (ASF) and Managing Director of ASF Foundation Major General Abid Latif Khan HI(M) has sought Karachi Chamber’s input, and assistance for setting up an Industrial Zone of international standards at M-9 Motorway on any available land adjacent to ASF City as the existing industrial areas of Karachi were fully chocked.
“As our future generation’s next preferred destination for living is going to be M-9 Motorway where ASF City, DHA City and Bahria Town were rapidly developing, it is an ideal place for setting up an industrial zone, and we can partner with KCCI to turn the proposed industrial zone into reality”, he added while exchanging views during his visit to Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
Chairman Businessmen Group (BMG) Zubair Motiwala, President KCCI Muhammad Idrees, Former President Majyd Aziz and KCCI Managing Committee Members were also present.
DG ASF, on his first ever visit a Chamber of Commerce, mentioned that ASF Foundation recently signed an important MoU with NUTECH University wherein ASFF will provide 50 acres of land to NUTECH at M-9 for the establishment of the NUTECH Karachi Campus. “The availability of proposed industrial zone near NUTECH Karachi Campus will prove favourable not only for the industries but also for the economy by creating abundant employment opportunities for the trained youth coming out from NUTECH Karachi Campus.”
He also pointed out that there was a time when all the airports were facing security threats which was a big challenge, but now the situation was much better, and only airports in western areas were still under threat; hence ASF adopted stringent security measures at these airports. “We try our best to improve our services within the available budget, but we are facing resource constraints; that’s why ASF was unable to provide an ideal security environment as being provided at the airports abroad”, he added.
Chairman BMG Zubair Motiwala, while highly appreciating the measures adopted by ASF to ensure foolproof security at the airports, said that the housing and commercial schemes undertaken by ASF Foundation were also a big contribution to society as Karachi’s population has been rising sharply and the city faces a dire shortage of trustworthy housing schemes; therefore, KCCI strongly believes that ASF Foundation’s projects have to be fully promoted and the Chamber was ready to extend full support and cooperation in this regard.
Keeping in view the world’s focus on Information Technology (IT) and Pakistan’s improved IT-related exports from a mere US$0.8 billion to US$2.6 billion, Zubair Motiwala advised DG ASF to also look into the possibility of setting up an IT Training Institute at ASF City so that the people looking forward to inhabiting either in ASF City, DHA City or any other nearby housing scheme could be provided IT Training at a state-of-the-art institution close to their homes.
While warmly welcoming ASF Foundation’s move to provide 50 acres of land for establishing NUTECH University, he said that ASF Foundation had done a wonderful job by giving land for setting up the desperately needed NUTECH University, which was undoubtedly a very great service to the province of Sindh and the people inhabiting in Karachi and Hyderabad. “The aim and vision for setting up NUTECH Karachi Campus in collaboration with KCCI are to improve the exports and make exports competitive. The target is to fetch more foreign exchange, enhance revenue, promote value-addition and import substitution, and manufacture spare parts and types of machinery currently being imported, in addition to carrying out extensive research to bring down the cost of production by making the industries energy-efficient.
He also stressed that to make local production and exports competitive, the government needs to adopt policies that have been successfully implemented in neighbouring countries, including India and Bangladesh. “The biggest hindrances in the way of enhanced exports and production are the policies and also the policymakers who, instead of coming up with their policies marred with serious flaws, must learn from our neighbours and fully adopt their successful policies in letter and spirit without any kind of amendment which would certainly prove favourable for Pakistan’s ailing economy”, he said.
They were referring to another initiative undertaken by ASF wherein security services were provided through ASF Security (Pvt). Limited, Zubair Motiwala advised sharing more details, including charges, so that the info could be disseminated amongst the business & industrial community members looking forward to engaging highly professional and well-trained security guards for the security and safety of their businesses and homes.
President KCCI Muhammad Idrees, while welcoming DG ASF, highly appreciated ASF Foundation for providing land to NUTECH for its Karachi Campus, which would surely help in grooming the youth besides adopting the latest technologies and promoting the production of spare parts and industrial machinery locally. “The Karachi Chamber has constantly been approaching the relevant authorities for release of funds from EDF for construction of NUTECH Karachi Campus, which is purely an export promotion project”, he said and hoped that the EDF Board would summon a meeting soon to discuss this important and give go ahead for release of EDF for this purpose”, he added.
He also assured full support and cooperation to ASF Foundation for its proposal of setting up an industrial zone at M-9 Motorway which would promote industrialization and create employment opportunities.