Revival of Silk route offers Prosperity and Stability to Asia

Pakistan and Central Asia stronger ties can boost Region’s growth

Sana Jamal

Islamabad – Improved communication and enhanced transport infrastructures can open new avenues for sustainable development, stability and regional harmony in Asia. And the greater collaboration, especially among Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asian countries, can be achieved by reviving the historical Silk Route. This perspective was highlight of the 3-day international conference titled ‘Central Asian Business Opportunities Conference’ (CABOC) in Islamabad.

Mini Expo offers boost to Islamabad’s Young Entrepreneurs

(Published in Pakistan Observer on 9 Apr. 2014)

Sana Jamal

Islamabad – Many people dream of starting a business of their own, however small, but for most that just remains the dream as the unpredictable life of an entrepreneur scares them away. But there are some passionate souls, who took that leap of faith and ultimately live their dreams.

Passion is exactly what impelled the some 16 young entrepreneurs to set up booths to display and sell their creative creations at Mini Expo recently held at Minerva House in Islamabad. Delightfully decorated stalls featured a variety of products including brilliant crafts and floral decorations, chic jewelry and accessories, novel home décor items, modish outfits as well as homemade food.

With an aim to boost self-starters, the Mini Expo 2014 was organized by Minerva, a social youth enterprise, to encourage small scale and home based entrepreneurs who had been marketing digitally only. “This Expo offers a platform to step out of their comfort zones, to reach a wider and real-time audience, to give them chance to explore the market, face the competitors, and go home with a great deal of learning” said Minerva’s CEO Sana Khalid explaining the purpose behind Mini Expo.

Accord to motivate Nature friendly Business in Pakistan

Sana Jamal

Islamabad – In a bid to incorporate biodiversity friendly practices into business policies, an Agreement has been signed by IUCN Pakistan and the Climate Change Division, Government of Pakistan in Islamabad. The agreement aims to stimulate market demand for nature-friendly products and to enhance institutional capacities to scale up biodiversity and business in Northern Pakistan over a period of four years under a GEF/UNDP funded project titled: ‘Mountains and Markets’. The GEF Project seeks to support ongoing biodiversity conservation efforts in northern Pakistan by using market-based mechanisms to strengthen community co-management of Pakistan’s biodiversity-rich mountain ecosystems.

Pakistani Rural Women help revitalize Economy

Sana Jamal 

ISLAMABAD – Out of great disasters come great opportunities. This notion has fascinated and revived the humanity out of hardships since the earliest days. As Pakistan shifts from relief to recovery phase in the post-flood scenario, the focus was the rebuilding livelihoods. During these hard times, Pakistani women have emerged as the strength of the economy and the communities as they are helping the families get back on their feet and start their lives all over again.

A conference in Islamabad, organized by U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Entrepreneurs Program, gathered women, particularly from the flood and conflict affected areas, who shared their stories of livelihoods improved, and incomes boosted. The women group from Swat, with their faces well covered in their long hand-embroidered dupattas, is one of the beneficiaries of the Entrepreneurs project. “Earlier these skilled women won’t get due credit or compensation for their art as the major chunk of profits was seized by the middlemen (between the skilled worker and the consumer),” said Farzana Akram, Project Officer at Lasoona, one of the implementing partners of the Project that is providing women micro-entrepreneurs from Swat access to bigger markets and buyers. 

With skilled workers, and access to better markets, the product quality has improved and there has been a huge increase in the incomes of micro-entrepreneurs. “Some 964 women have been trained. And we have just successfully delivered 476 pieces of hand embellished fabrics to Generation, Pakistan’s leading retain chain. The order was worth Rs. 485,000” told Ms. Farzana gladly.

Regional Connectivity in South Asia urged

5th South Asia Economic Summit: “South Asia is one of the fastest growing yet one of the least economically integrated region”

Published in Pakistan Obser (12 Sep. 2012)

Sana Jamal

ISLAMABAD – Closer cooperation in the fields of trade, public diplomacy, and communication was advocated at the 5th South Asia Economic Summit which began in Islamabad on Tuesday. Speakers believed that, Pakistan and India can play a leading role for deeper regional integration as the two major nations of South Asia,

Over 114 foreign delegates, including ministers, economists and civil society members are participating in the 3-day summit that focuses on issues relating to South Asia economic outlook, impacts of global financial crisis, regional trade, energy cooperation, transport connectivity, and economic growth. The summit is being jointly sponsored by Pakistan’s Sustainable Development Policy Institute in collaboration with its regional partner think tanks.

Pakistan urged to develop consensus on Green Economy: Experts

Published in Pakistan Observer

Sana Jamal

Image Courtesy: World Bank website 

Islamabad – Environmental professionals at a conference, on Saturday, urged the government to facilitate a broad-based consensus among all stakeholders to adopt new initiative in promoting green investments and sustainability in the country. Speakers at the two-day ‘National consultation on green economy’ focused on the challenges of actualizing the concept of sustainable development, of creating a “greener” and sustainable economy, and identifying institutional frameworks.

“Green economy should integrate and bind the three pillars of sustainable development: economic, social, and environmental” concluded the speakers on the final day of the conference organized in collaboration with Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Ministry of Climate Change, Heinrich Boll Stiftung (HBS), and Lead Pakistan.

Women in Trade Initiative to enhance women participation in Business sector

Published in Pakistan Observer (13 July 2011)

Sana Jamal

Islamabad – Young generation filled with hope and passion can be a source of great strength for a nation but if their skills meet right kind of learning, they truly become an asset for the country as well as the world. To increase the the participation of Pakistani young women in the international trade sector, US Agency for International Development (USAID) in conjunction with several multinational firms launched the Women in Trade Initiative on Tuesday.

First ‘Gem Bazar’ in Islamabad

Pakistan can earn Billions through Gem exports

Published in Pakistan Observer (7 Jan. 2011)

Sana Jamal

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is home to rare gemstones and minerals that can earn billions of dollars for country if properly exploited and marketed. However, this gem paradise has been unfortunate to receive due attention of the concerned authorities.

Inaugurating the Islamabad’s first ever ‘Gem Bazar’ on Thursday, Minister for Industries and Production, Mir Hazar Khan Bijrani noted that “Pakistan’s gems and jewellery sector has huge potential to become regional leader by adopting modern techniques and methodologies.” The Minister boasted “Pakistan is blessed with immense resources especially minerals and precious stones. It is up to us to put in our best efforts to convert the potential into tangible gains to benefit the country and economy.”

Acknowledging the huge potential of the industry, Minster promised “to increase the revenues of gem and stones industry from $300 million to $1.5 billion in the next three years.”

However, Ateeq Sheikh Vice-President of Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce & Industry pointed out that the plan of our government is limited, as “India is planning to expand gem industry to earn up to $100 billion in next few years.”

“Pakistan is home to more than 270 varieties of precious stones” highlighted Ateeq. Comparing the gem industries of Pakistan and India, he said “India earns up to $26 billion as foreign exchange by importing only 3 kinds of stones while Pakistan manages to earn $300 million despite of having more than 270 kinds of stones.”