MIRPUR (AJK), (Parliament Times) : Expressing severe concern over the reported impasse in the process of industrial development in Azad Jammu & Kashmir since long following the alleged massive mismanagement on the part of the state-run regulatory authorities including the State Department of Commerce & Industries as well as by various previous managements of Mirpur AJKCCI theirselves and the lack of inappropriate and poor policies of other stakeholders -the concerned state functioneries of the AJK government, the business community of AJK has demanded immediate effective measures to ensure the survival of the collapsed industrial sector in the State.
Our Special Jammu Kashmir state Correspondent Altaf Hamid Rao reports from Mirpur that local business community including industrialists and traders, newly elected and former office bearers of their sole representative forum – the Mirpur AJK Chamber of Commerce and Industry while addressing the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Chamber here Wednesday night strongly demanded immediate grant of attractive incentives and relirf to ensure the survival of true industrial progress in the state particularly through the revival of hundreds of the sick Industrial units in the Industrial estates in the Mirpur district, major hub of Industrial sector in AJK.
Umar Shehzad Jarral, President of the Mirpur-AJK Chamber of Commerce and Industry, chaired the meeting wherein he presented the Annual Performance Report highlighting the key achievements and initiatives undertaken during the year.
The Annual General Meeting of the Mirpur (AJK) Chamber of Commerce and Industry was attended among others by a large number of the general members of the Chamber besides former presidents, ex and sitting executive committee members and the office bearers.
Umar Shehzad Jarral, President of the Chamber, earlier presented the Annual Performance Report.
The current year 2025 annual general meeting of the Mirpur AJKCCI jolted as a result of heated speeches by several of former Presidents of the Chamber, besides other speakers alarming indication to the fast deteriorating and ugly situation of industrial sector in AJK.
Expressing grave concern over the collapsed industrial sector in AJK, seasoned businessman and former Presidents of AJKCCI including ex minister and also former FPCCI President Ch. Muhammad Saeed, Javed Iqbal, Syed Sabir Hussain Shah,, Azeem Mushtaq, Sohail Shujah Mujahid, Ch. Sohaib Saeed, ex SVP Raja Khalid Mahmood Khan and others said that following complete lack of interest by the sitting AJK government besides several of the previous regimes, the industrial sector has almost collapsed as over 50 percent of the industrial units have closed falling sick due to the undue traditional bureaucratic restrictions and bottlenecks – since the main stakeholder and the state regulatory authority – the State Department of Commerce and Industry focus to cancel the alloted industrial plots in the old and new industrial estates in Mirpur on one pretext or the other i stead of encouraging or facilitating for the survival of the established industrial units addressing their grievances mostly about the lack of due infrastructural facilities, harmonious to the needs of the modern age in the region.
The Annual General Meeting of the Mirpur (AJK) Chamber of Commerce and Industry. attended by a large number of former presidents, executive committee members, and general members of the chamber lambasted the incumbent besides several of previous AJK governments for complete lack of interest in the overall Industrial progress the region most particularly in the only industrial hub of Mirpur district, where the industrial estates have turned into the graveyards of industries because of the poor policies of the sitting and previous governments in AJK.
This Correspondent understands, it .ay be mentioned here that in 1990, number of the operative industrial units in Mirpur was 500 containing over 50 thousands of the working skilled and unskilled manpower.
Now in 2025, the number of the industrial units in both of the Mirpur Industrial Estates including Small and D/4 Main Industrial estates have reduced to below of only 50 turning thousands of the laborers jobless because of the poor policies and slackness of the regulatory authorities.
Portraying the ongoing bleak picture, since past many years, of the prevailing industrial sector in AJK in detail, speakers urged upon the concerned state authorities to immediately move for devising an immediate sustainable plan for the revival of the sick units, unearth the basic causes of the sickness, remove the reasons of industrial sickness and reduction in debt burden of the units besides ensuring the delivery of immediate facilities to the existing and intending entrepreneur in the region.
Speakers observed that the industrial estates in Mirpur division have, in reality, turned into the graveyards of the industries because of denial of the basic infrastructural facilities and mismanagement on the part of the concerned State functionaries besides other stake holders.
Speakers called upon the AJK government to move forward on revolutionary grounds to ensure the survival of the rapidly collapsed industrial sector in AJK by ensuring the early supply of the much need amenities including uninterrupted power supply, natural gas and water to the industrial estates.
They underlined that since the foundation stone of the much-awaited Mirpur Dry Port was already laid down by a previous AJK government, the Dry Port project was required to be executed in reality without further wastage of time for the survival of the incumbent fast deteriorating conditions of the industrial sector in AJK.
They pointed out that there were a total of 200 industrial units in AJK, mostly in the Indusial Mirpur and Bhimbher districts. Of these units, over one hundred units were lying sick, since long, because of lack of the required infra-structure and other facilities.
They said that immediate supply of sui natural gas, uninterrupted power and water supply were also the urgency of hour to revive the stagnant industrialization process in Mirpur – where the industrial estates were giving deserted look following horrific increase in the sick Industries.
Speakers said that the business community could be hopeful of the positive outcome of the efforts by the AJK government for the revival of the declined industrial sector in AJK if the government’s plans were materialized in letter and spirit with prime focus to strengthen the economy of the AJK region besides to overcome the ensuing increased problems of unemployment and poverty in the area.
“The employment opportunities in AJK could be created through encouraging the rapid promotion of trade and industrial progress in the area”, they emphasized.
Former presidents and members expressed their satisfaction and appreciation over the chamber’s performance, terming the current administration’s efforts as highly encouraging — particularly in the areas of Renovation and beautification of the chamber building, Significant increase in membership, introduction of online membership system, effective liaison with government departments and institutions,
and active role in resolving traders’ issues.
The meeting also approved the annual audit report and discussed several important matters, presented in the meeting for the consideration and approval of the executive body and members.
President Umar Shehzad Jarral thanked all members, former presidents, and the business community for their continuous support. He reaffirmed the chamber’s commitment to promoting trade, facilitating business growth, and protecting the interests of local entrepreneurs in Azad Jammu & Kashmir.
