Iftikhar re-elected as VP SAARC chamber

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Iftikhar Ali Malik,Vice President of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), an apex body of regional chambers in the region, sets a new record in South Asia getting re-elected for the post unanimously for sixth consecutive two years term.

According to the notification of SAARC chamber issued here by its Secretary General Hina Saeed Saturday, SAARC CCI President Suraj Vaidya, a leading business tycoon hailing from Nepal and SAARC General Assembly and Executive Committee members from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan and Maldives with majority votes re-elected Iftikhar Ali Malik for the sixth term.

Iftikhar also held the offices of the Presidents Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, besides founder President Pak US Business Council.

He is currently working as Central Chairman United Business Group. He is also the chairman of the Guard Group of Industries and a chain of Mumtaz Bakhtawar Memorial Trust Hospitals.

In his statement, Iftikhar Ali Malik reiterated to continue efforts for greater economic integration by fully exploiting all indigenous natural resources for the progress, prosperity, development and welfare of the people mainly aimed at doing away with abject poverty in South Asia. The SAARC should be more active to address major challenges the region faces, job creation for the youth of South Asia and alleviation of poverty, he added.

He said South Asia comprises three per cent of the world’s area, 21 per cent of the world’s population and 3.8 per cent (US$ 2.9 trillion) of the global economy.

The respective governments were trying to give its people a much higher quality of life racked by high illiteracy, dismissal health care and sanitation.