PFC offers free skills training to convicts

LAHORE : Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) offers free specialised training to convicts in Punjab jails to produce the best quality skilled wood workers.

Talking to Inspector General of Prisons Punjab Mian Farooq Nazeer here on Sunday, Pakistan Furniture Council CEO Mian Kashif Ashfaq offered totally free training package and discussed its modalities and scope of enhancement of cooperation between public and private sector. He said that at present Pakistan is facing acute shortage of highly skilled wood workers so we decided in principle to meet this alarming scarcity of artisans by training the convicts on modern scientific lines to meet market driven demands.

He further offered that on successful completion of proper training, all convicts after release, will be absorbed in furniture manufacturing factories with good pay packages.

‘PFC may also consider offering reasonable good monthly stipend to all convict trainees to attract maximum number of participants’.

Mian Kashif said initially six months’ short duration course would be launched in Central Jails of Lahore, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi and PFC will provide the top class trainers. He said special lectures will also be delivered on the importance of growing more and more useful trees to offset the hovering threat of climate change and meet wood needs of the country.

IG Prisons appreciated the goodwill gesture of PFC and constituted a committee to examine its feasibility for launching courses.

PM praised for economic reforms

Former president of the Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Iftikhar Ali Malik, has commended Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for implementing transformative and inclusive policies to revitalise Pakistan’s economy.

In a statement issued on Sunday, he highlighted the PM’s direct engagement with business leaders and his focus on pragmatic reforms aimed at strengthening the economy and restoring investor confidence.

Malik highlighted the government’s efforts to improve the ease of doing business by reducing bureaucratic hurdles, simplifying tax processes, and enhancing transparency.

Key initiatives include infrastructure development, energy security, and digital connectivity to foster a business-friendly environment.

He also praised the prime minister’s focus on attracting both foreign and local investments by addressing structural challenges and ensuring policy consistency.

Efforts to stabilise the macroeconomic environment, manage inflation, and promote public-private partnerships have been instrumental in creating opportunities in agriculture, technology, and manufacturing sectors.

Malik concluded that these policies had positioned Pakistan as a competitive player in the international market, laying a solid foundation for sustainable economic growth.