Secure GSP Plus Status to Navigate Macroeconomic Challenges: Mian Akram Farid

ISLAMABAD ( WNAM REPORT ):  Pakistan’s economic future, local industrial safety, and global export footprint rely heavily on one critical factor: a strict commitment to international labor regulations.
This was the central theme at a high-profile “WEBCOP Dialogue” held at the FPCCI President Secretariat in Islamabad. Gathered under one roof, federal ministers, international bodies, and corporate leaders made it clear that business growth can no longer be decoupled from human rights.
The event was organized by the FPCCI Central Standing Committee on Skill Development in collaboration with major global and national stakeholders, including the ILO, UNDP, the European Union, the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, and the Ministry of Human Rights.
Opening the dialogue, Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, highlighted that treating workers well isn’t just ethical—it’s smart business.
“A safe, dignified, and fairly compensated workforce forms the bedrock of any productive enterprise,” Minister Hussain stated during his keynote address.
He explained that meeting international labor and human rights benchmarks is no longer optional. If Pakistan wants to aggressively expand its global market share and protect local factories from being sidelined, alignment with global legal frameworks is absolutely essential.
FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh mirrored this sentiment, stating that economic progress and human dignity are inseparable. He announced that the FPCCI is fully committed to shifting domestic business practices toward international compliance through the execution of a National Action Plan.
Sheikh also paid a special tribute to Mian Akram Farid for dedicating five decades of his life to pioneering technical education and improving relations between employers and workers.
Taking the participants, Mian Akram Farid, Chairman of the FPCCI Central Standing Committee on Skill Development, Executive Member, and Former VP FPCCI, focused heavily on the macroeconomic high stakes of the dialogue.
He warned that complying with international laws is the single most vital step Pakistan must take to secure highly coveted international trade privileges, such as the European Union’s GSP Plus status. Without this status, local industries lose their competitive edge.
Farid emphasized that long-term national growth relies on a dual-track strategy:
1. Skilling up a diverse workforce, with a specific, heavy focus on uplifting women and the youth.
2. Balancing aggressive industrial output with rigorous compliance with global labor laws.
He noted that under the guidance of UBG Pattern-in-Chief S.M. Tanveer, the FPCCI is forging deep collaborations with corporate and labor union leaders to foster an ideal, harmonious business ecosystem across the country.
Adding to the urgency, Majeed Aziz, President of the Employers’ Federation of Pakistan (EFP), issued a direct call to action to corporate owners across the country. He urged them to completely integrate responsible business practices into daily operations if they want to survive against competitive global market benchmarks.
The high-level dialogue drew a massive turnout of senior government officials, industrial titans, and key labor union representatives from across Pakistan.
The prominent attendees and speakers included FPCCI Vice Presidents Tariq Jadoon and Zaki Aijaz, FPCCI Skill Committee Deputy Chairman Karim Aziz, and FPCCI Capital Office Chairman Coordination Malik Sohail Hussain. International representatives included Jeroen Willems, Head of Cooperation for the European Union Delegation to Pakistan, alongside Dr. Samuel Rizk, Resident Representative, and Van Nguyen, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Pakistan, and Rabia Razzaq, Senior Program Officer at the ILO.
The government sector was highly represented by Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Federal Secretary for MOPHRD, as well as Ministry of Human Rights Director General Muhammad Arshad and Director Shahzad Ahmed Khan.
From the broader business, federation, and labor community, the event welcomed EFP Vice President Feroz Alam, EFP Directors Malik Tahir Javed, Humayun Nazir, Athar Iqbal, and Dr. Yusuf Sarwar, and EFP General Secretary Syed Nazar Ali. Additional notable leadership present included FPCCI Executive Member Saeed Khan, former ICCI President Zahid Maqbool,Senior WEBCOP Leader Zahoor Awan, Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Samina Fazil, former FPCCI Vice President Naima Ansari, former ICCI Senior Vice Presidents Fatima Azeem and Rafat Farid, FPCCI Skill Development Committee Member Kashif Farid, and prominent labor leaders Chaudhry Nasim and Chaudhry Saad.