ISLAMABAD: Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President of the Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Saturday congratulated Sardar Tanveer Ilyas on becoming the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and hoped that he would provide good leadership and relief to the Kashmiris. He said that Sardar Tanveer Ilyas is a successful entrepreneur therefore masses and the business community is hoping that he will play a central role in improving the economy of AJK. The new PM should focus on the economic development of the area and leave no stone unturned to achieve the goal of rapid industrialization, he added. Dr. Murtaza Mughal said that AKJ needs a comprehensive strategy backed by feedback from stakeholders to promote industrialisation and enhance coordination with the federal government’s institutions. Industrial development will play an important role in luring local and foreign investments in sectors like minerals, tourism and agriculture, he stressed. Factories should be established in industrial estates and in special economic zones while relevant laws should be reformed to attract investors. Dr. Mughal said that investors should be facilitated and given special tax exemptions to encourage industrialization which could help it create employment opportunities, bringing prosperity to the lives of people. AJK has enough economic potential to be turned into a self-reliant state so that the government can keep the welfare of people and development among its topmost priorities, he observed. Besides initiating mega development projects in the region, the government should also improve infrastructure, promote SMEs and small industries and resolve issues of the business community, he demanded. Staff Reporter
