PM Imran Khan assures businessmen of full facilitation for export promotion

SIALKOT: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday assured the businessmen of full facilitation for the industrialisation in the country to increase exports.

He was addressing a gathering of business community after inauguration of Air Sial airlines in Sialkot today.

The prime minister assured that hurdles in the way of promotion of businesses will be removed.

He said special steps are being taken to encourage small and medium enterprises.

The premier said industrialization and increase in exports will lead to wealth creation and enhancement of foreign exchange reserves.

He expressed confidence that Sialkot, Gujranwala and Gujrat will become a key region of exports in the country.

He said special focus is being laid on the less developed regions such as Balochistan, merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Air Sial to put pressure on PIA

While inaugurating the airline, PM Imran said Air Sial will create competition for other Pakistani airlines.

Air Sial is Pakistan's third private airline. Its first flight via Airbus A320 landed at the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi from the United States last month.

The airline had to delay from June because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent restrictions on air travel.

The airline's operations will initially rely on three Airbus A320-200s, which have been leased from AerCap, the world’s largest independent aircraft leasing company, based in Dublin, Ireland.

The premier said he is visiting Sialkot to meet its business community. "The inauguration of Air Sial is just an excuse [for the visit]," the premier said in his address after Federal Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar spoke about the state of Pakistan's economy.

The premier called Sialkot's business community the "most vibrant" one in the country.

"First you established this [private] airport. No one has done this in such limited resources," he said, congratulating the business community on launching the Air Sial initiative.

The launch of Air Sial, the premier said, is beneficial for all.

He said Sialkot is about to become an even bigger export hub of Pakistan. "For this, you need an airline," he said.

This is just the start, but I have no doubt that you will run this just as well as you've run your airport, the premier said, adding that Air Sial will give competition to PIA.

"PIA will see that an airline is being run efficiently, on low funds and giving good service and this will put pressure on it to improve. Other airlines will also feel the pressure to be efficient," the premier said, adding that Pakistan will benefit.

'COVID-19 cases are rising, take precautions'

He spoke about the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulties caused by it.

The PM said Pakistan managed to save its people from the virus. He, however, criticised the Opposition for holding public gatherings.

"The same Opposition that criticised me for not doing a complete lockdown and used to give the example of India's Narendra Modi and its lockdown, is now holding public rallies," he said.

He said coronavirus cases are rising and if we don't take proper precaution, the winters will be bad for the country. He gave examples of the United States, UK and Italy and the restrictions they have placed to avoid the spread of the virus.

"I will repeat - wear a mask. It is the only way to stop the virus," the premier said.