Employers Federation of Pakistan and Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council signed an agreement in London to recognize EFP as Institutional Strategic Partner of Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council. The agreement was signed at a glittering ceremony by Lord Marland of Odstock, Chairman CWEIC, and Ismail Suttar, Chairman EFP Economic Council and Member EFP Board of Directors. Also present were Zaki Ahmed Khan, Vice President EFP, Mahmood Arshad, Director EFP-EC, Andrew Moore, EFP Advisor and Senior Consultant of Dutch Employers Cooperation Programme, and Alan Gemmell, CEO CWEIC. The event was also attended by former cricket luminaries from many Test-playing countries. Among them were Clive Lloyd, David Gower, Saqlain Mushtaq, and Somachandra de Silva.
CWEIC is a UK-registered not-for-profit company with a mandate from Commonwealth Heads of Government to promote trade and investment across the 53-member nations of the Commonwealth. CWEIC is the Commonwealth’s business network and the place for private-public engagement across the Commonwealth. EFP carries the statutory mandate to tackle various issues related to employment, industrial relations, occupational safety and health, and a host of socio-economic and macro-economic issues prevalent in Pakistan. EFP is a constituent of ILO and Member of International Organization of Employers, South Asian Forum of Employers and Confederation of Asia Pacific Employers.
Majyd Aziz, President EFP, disclosed that the recognition given by CWEIC to EFP will enable EFP to further scale up its international outlook and profile. He said that EFP will be accorded a prominent position at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Kigali, Rwanda in 2020 when the Heads of Governments from Commonwealth countries would be meeting there too. He further added that this agreement would enable EFP to engage with business leaders and government decision makers across the Commonwealth nations.
Majyd Aziz further added that CWEIC would assist in connecting EFP with senior leaders in key Commonwealth markets and also assist in meeting international government leaders whenever CWEIC hosts them in London. The principal advantage would be for EFP to promote Pakistan as the place to invest and to enhance bilateral trade. CWEIC invited EFP to nominate one person to join the CWEIC Global Advisory Council. Majyd Aziz nominated Ismail Suttar to represent EFP on the Council and hence, for the first time, he attended the GAC meeting on behalf of EFP.
