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Monday, March 18, 2024

PM Imran Khan inaugurates Pakistan’s third private airline ‘AirSial’

Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurates Pakistan's third private airline, AirSial, announces Rs 17 billion development funds for Sialkot and its industry

Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the new private airline ‘AirSial’ today in Sialkot. The Chief Minister of Punjab Usman Buzdar was also present at the ceremony. They were joined there by Sialkot’s business community and industry’s renowned persons.

Interestingly the airline has been founded by ‘the business community’ of Sialkot. Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry had invited the prime minister.

Usman Dar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Youth Affairs, claimed that the foundation stone of five mega-projects for development and infrastructure was just the beginning as the city’s future is wrought with economic success.  He further said that the government considered Sialkot a vital export hub and took measures to boost the trade.

He said under the vision 2050, PM was announcing five mega projects for Sialkot city, adding a water filtration plant project while five big green parks were also included in the PM’s development package.

New private airline good for competition

Usman dar further said that completing the city projects will allow millions of people to have better lives potentially. The government was committed to addressing the city’s issues such as sanitary water, traffic systems, etc.

He said that PM Khan Sialkot is going to announce a Rs17billion development package for the city, adding that AirSial will also further increase employment opportunities for locals.

Talking about the new private airline Dar stressed that new Airlines in the country would bring a healthy amount of competition among local airlines and thus benefit the consumers.

He said making the country’s youth self-sufficient was the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to help them become a useful part of a developed Pakistan.

Why is Sialkot’s industry so important? 

Sialkot is an important economic hub, and export-oriented city for Pakistan .99 percent of the city’s products are exported to various parts of the globe.

Sialkot’s businesses are usually small and medium-sized industries that provide huge opportunities to local populations for employment.

Sialkot based small and medium industries are earning foreign exchange amounting to more than  US dollars 2.5 billion annually, thus strengthening the national exchequer.

More than 8,000 firms are currently registered with the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).

Read more: Prime Minister Imran Khan to inaugurate new ‘AirSial’ airline in Sialkot today

Sialkot’s industrial success is visible in the fact that its per capita income is higher than other cities of Pakistan.

Sialkot is wealthy relative to other cities in South Asia, with an estimated 2014 per capita income of $2800 (nominal).

The industries in and around Sialkot manufacture value-added goods like Leather Products, Sports Goods, Surgical Instruments, Gloves of all sorts, Textile Items, Sports Wear, Martial Arts Uniforms & Accessories, Musical Instruments, Kitchenware, Hollow Ware, Knives, Cutlery items, and Military Uniform Badges, etc.

Moreover, Sialkot produces footballs, field hockey sticks, cricket gear, and boxing gloves that are used in international games, including the Olympics and World Cups. The surgical and sports goods industries are the oldest industries in the city and they play an important role in strengthening the national economy and providing employment opportunities to hundreds of industrial workers.

Read more: Pakistan’s new startup airline, AirSial welcomes it first Airbus A320

The surgical industry of Pakistan globally enjoyed a monopolistic position because no other country can produce surgical instruments in a similar price range, quality, and efficiency.

Sialkot’s surgical instruments are known for being the most economical and high-quality products.

Many developed countries import surgical instruments from Sialkot, and every day, hundreds of surgeries are performed around the world by surgeons using the instruments made in Sialkot.

There is a great need for a “Separate Business Strategy” for Sialkot in the present scenario as per the business community in the city, keeping in view its unique export culture and craftsmanship, enabling it to play a significant role in earning maximum foreign exchange for the country.

Exceptional achievements in business, the corporate sector is fully vigilant to its responsibilities towards the social sector and has played a significant role in this regard on “Self-help Basis,” which has now become Sialkot’s culture, the establishing of Sialkot International Airport was also on a self-help basis.

GVS News Desk