SIALKOT: Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that PPP-led government is committed to resolve the issues confronted by Sialkot business community, which the export city and hub of cottage industry.

Addressing the members of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) on Saturday he announced that foreigners as joint ventures would be exempted from obtaining No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the government while foreign customers would be given entry visa at Sialkot International Airport on the recommendation letter of SCCI.

The Interior Minister said that in order to facilitate people the new passport will be issued of 145 pages and also announced the establishment of Nadra facilitation desk and passport office at SCCI and directed the passport authorities to clear all pending passports of Sialkot within three days.

The Interior Minister said that purpose of setting up passport office and Nadra desk at SCCI to facilitate the business community at their doorstep. Similarly, the passport offices would also established Daska and Pasrur tehsils of Sialkot districts shortly he disclosed and added that basic concept of setting up passport offices at Daska and Pasrur was to ensure the facility to the people at their doorstep and reduce the travelling difficulties of the passport seekers.

The overall law and order situation has been improved. Rehman said that the weeding out of terrorist was top on the government agenda and with the support of the people the menace of terrorism would be rooted out and Pakistan will be made terrorist-free country.

We have managed to break the backbone of TTP and now they were offering for dialogues, he said. Stressing need of collective efforts of political parties and every segment of the society were direly needed at this juncture for weeding out menace of terrorism and extremism from the country on permanently, he said.

Federal Minister for National Regulation and Services Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan also spoke on the occasion and lauded the decision of setting up passport offices in and around Sialkot.

Earlier, President SCCI Sheikh Abdul Majid highlighted the various issues on the occasion.