Islamabad Economic Master Plan proposed

Businessmen say city can become regional centre of investment, innovation, tech and commerce

ISLAMABAD:

Islamabad has all the capabilities to become far more than Pakistan's administrative capital and it can emerge as a regional centre of investment, innovation, technology and international commerce, remarked Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Sardar Tahir Mehmood, while calling for a bold economic vision to transform the federal capital's strategic advantages into tangible business and investment opportunities.

Speaking to visiting business leaders at the Chamber House on Saturday, he said Islamabad's diplomatic community, highly educated workforce, institutional strength, modern infrastructure and international exposure gave the city a distinctive platform to connect Pakistan with global markets. Yet, he noted, those advantages had not been brought together under a unified economic strategy capable of attracting international businesses, investment, technology and high-value services.

"Islamabad has the location, the talent, the institutions and the international connectivity; what it needs now is an economic vision that brings these strengths together and turns them into opportunity, investment and growth," Mehmood said.

He proposed the formulation of a long-term Islamabad Economic Master Plan to establish a clear economic identity for the capital, with priority sectors including technology and IT-enabled services, digital trade, investment, business tourism, international conferences, education, healthcare, financial services and other knowledge-intensive industries. "Such a strategy could position Islamabad as a competitive regional business destination while creating new opportunities for entrepreneurship, employment and exports."