QCCI seminar: Speakers say Balochistan can reshape economic direction

ISLAMABAD: Business leaders and economic experts have emphasized the crucial role of land trade corridors in driving regional prosperity, calling for immediate measures to transform Balochistan’s prevailing sense of despair into progress, investment and employment.

Speaking at a seminar organized by the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) on Saturday, Chairman International Overseas Economic Corridor (IOEC) Mustafa Ansari and QCCI President Haji Muhammad Ayub Maryani said that strengthening trade connectivity through Balochistan could reshape Pakistan’s economic direction.

The speakers noted that Balochistan’s geographical and economic landscape differs greatly from other provinces, urging the federal government to grant special tax incentives and financial concessions to the province’s business community.

They highlighted that the International Overseas Economic Corridor (IOEC) serves as a gateway to regional development by linking Balochistan with Afghanistan, Iran, Central Asian republics, and Russia — a connection that could play a decisive role in determining the country’s economic future.

They stressed that tackling unemployment requires empowering the business community and utilizing available economic opportunities in both the province and the country. The participants also called for encouraging overseas Pakistanis to invest in trade corridors and development projects, noting that collaboration between the government and private sector is essential for sustained growth.

The speakers said the IOEC Forum and the seminar aimed to attract overseas Pakistani investors and promote economic linkages to help complete ongoing development projects across underdeveloped districts of Balochistan -a step expected to bring positive change to the province’s and the country’s overall economic conditions.

Central Traders Association President Abdul Rahim Kakar, along with representatives of various business associations, also addressed the seminar and presented recommendations on legal trade promotion and the expansion of land corridors.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025