Senate Chairman Urges Global Reach for Pakistan’s Traditional Crafts and Skilled Workforce

LAHORE: Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has said that Pakistan’s traditional products, cultural heritage and skilled workforce need effective measures to be introduced and promoted on the global stage. He said Pakistan has enormous potential in exports, trade and international economic linkages, and that this potential could be fully exploited to further strengthen the national economy.

He expressed these views while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Lahore office of the New York Chamber of Small Business Corporation. He congratulated the management on setting up the new office and described it as an important step towards expanding business ties and improving the country’s trade access internationally.

Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said embroidery, blue pottery, ceramics, khussa, the Sindhi ajrak and the traditional ajrak of the Saraiki region are part of the national cultural identity, and that introducing them internationally could increase exports. He particularly stressed the importance of presenting garments made from ajrak, including shirts, in global markets, and said several countries had successfully promoted their traditional textile products around the world.

Referring to Multan, the Senate Chairman said it is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, with a history of more than five thousand years. He compared Multan’s historical and cultural heritage with that of an ancient city such as Damascus, and said Multan’s blue pottery, ceramics and traditional crafts deserve international recognition.

He described the training of a skilled workforce as an urgent need of the time, saying young Pakistanis have the ability to play a prominent role in the global job market, particularly in technical, professional and software fields. According to him, Pakistanis living abroad, especially the community in the United States, and organisations such as the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA) can play an important role in strengthening Pakistan’s image and trade ties.

Referring to his association with the Global Muslim Business Forum, based in Kuala Lumpur, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said cooperation with international business networks would open new prospects for Pakistan’s economic and trade development. He expressed hope that continued cooperation from business communities, international institutions and overseas Pakistanis would create new opportunities in trade, investment and employment.