SIFC assures KCCI of closer institutional coordination
KARACHI: Joint Secretary (Military), Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), and Head of SIFC’s Provincial Office in Sindh, Colonel Abdullah Khan Sherani has assured the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) of closer institutional coordination, direct engagement and facilitation to address the business community’s concerns, promote investment and strengthen public-private sector collaboration.
During his visit to KCCI, Colonel Abdullah Khan Sherani said that establishing a direct working relationship with the Chamber’s newly elected leadership was a key objective of his visit.
He explained that he had recently been posted to Sindh as SIFC’s permanent provincial representative and was in his second week of orientation, during which he was meeting key stakeholders and familiarising himself with the province’s business and investment landscape.
He said that, on the directions of Director General SIFC Asad ur Rehman Cheema, his first priority in Karachi was to visit KCCI, followed by engagement with other chambers of commerce and trade bodies across Sindh.
He emphasised that the objective was to establish direct points of contact and develop a sustained working relationship to ensure that business community concerns could be communicated effectively to the relevant authorities.
Acknowledging the longstanding concerns raised by the business community at various forums, he observed that many of these issues had already been highlighted at the appropriate and highest levels, but their resolution remained outstanding.
He stressed the need to identify the most pressing concerns, establish a clear priority list and take them up systematically with the relevant departments and authorities, rather than attempting to address all matters simultaneously.
He assured the Chamber that SIFC would play its facilitative role to the fullest extent possible, keep its senior leadership informed and help take up matters requiring the intervention of the Sindh government.
He added that some concerns fell within the mandate of the Regulatory Reforms Wing, while others required intervention at different administrative levels. Accordingly, he would coordinate with the relevant wings and arrange further engagement with KCCI to ensure that the issues were referred to the appropriate forums. Speaking on the occasion, Chairman Businessmen Group (BMG) Zubair Motiwala urged the SIFC to translate its mandate into tangible results by addressing the structural challenges undermining Pakistan’s industrial competitiveness, investment climate and export growth.
He stressed that repeated meetings, presentations and assurances had failed to produce meaningful outcomes, emphasising that the country urgently needed practical measures to reduce the cost of doing business, revive industrial activity and restore investor confidence.
Expressing concern over the widening disconnect between policy discussions and implementation, he said that business leaders had repeatedly highlighted critical economic issues at meetings with senior government officials, including the prime minister, but meaningful corrective action remained elusive.
He emphasised that the challenges confronting Karachi’s industry were not merely the concerns of one chamber or city; they reflected deeper structural weaknesses affecting Pakistan’s entire economy.
“Pakistan’s economy is under severe pressure, industries are closing and entrepreneurs are reluctant to make new investments. Everybody acknowledges the problems when we raise them, but the real question is why no concrete steps are taken to resolve them,” he observed, stressing that consultations with SIFC and other institutions would only be meaningful if followed by effective implementation.
He underscored that industrial growth was essential not only for earning foreign exchange but also for creating jobs, improving law and order, supporting social stability and expanding the fiscal space required for health, education and poverty alleviation.
With population growth continuing and Karachi experiencing additional migration from other parts of the country, he warned that the absence of new investment and employment opportunities could intensify existing socioeconomic challenges.
“Fundamental structural reforms are indispensable if Pakistan wants to attract investment and move forward economically,” he said, questioning whether the government’s Uraan Pakistan economic transformation initiative was being implemented in a meaningful manner.
Speaking on the occasion, President KCCI Talat Mahmood called upon the SIFC to take urgent, result-oriented measures to address Karachi’s deteriorating infrastructure, law and order situation, traffic congestion and other fundamental challenges that are discouraging investment and undermining the country’s export potential.
He emphasised that Karachi’s economic significance warranted immediate attention at the highest levels. He stressed that Pakistan could not attract meaningful foreign investment without first creating an enabling environment for domestic investors, who were already struggling to sustain their businesses amid persistent structural and operational challenges.
Expressing concern over the limited visible impact of initiatives undertaken by SIFC and other relevant institutions, Talat Mahmood said that the business community had high expectations when the Council was established to facilitate investment and address impediments to economic growth. However, many of those expectations had yet to translate into tangible improvements on the ground. He also regretted that Karachi had not received the infrastructure and connectivity benefits that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was expected to generate.
Talat Mahmood stressed that efficient port connectivity was essential for a city that served as Pakistan’s principal commercial and industrial hub.
He called for SIFC to use its institutional influence to highlight such critical infrastructure requirements in its recommendations and facilitate their consideration at the appropriate government levels.
He further stressed that Karachi needed to be recognised as a metropolitan economic centre whose performance had direct implications for Pakistan’s overall exports, revenue generation, employment and investment outlook.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026