ISLAMABAD: The SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry witnessed a historic leadership transition on Tuesday during a formal handover ceremony held in Islamabad.
Federal Minister for Railways, Hanif Abbasi, oversaw the transfer of SAARC CCI presidency to Chandi Raj Dhakal, a Nepali industrialist, from outgoing president Md Jashim Uddin of Bangladesh.
Atif Ikram Sheikh, President of FPCCI, opened the event with a welcome address, extending warm greetings to delegations representing the SAARC member countries.
Speaking as chief guest, Federal Minister Hanif Abbasi reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment to SAARC’s principles. “Pakistan believes South Asia cannot progress without regional integration. We have kept our borders open for trade in spirit, our airspace for connectivity, and our hearts open for people-to-people exchanges,” he said. He assured full support from both the government and private sector to new president.
In his speech, President Chandi Raj Dhakal presented an ambitious vision to transform SAARC CCI from a dialogue-focused forum into an action-oriented platform delivering tangible results. He emphasised business activities should not be halted due to political challenges and pledged to use SAARC CCI as a neutral platform for business diplomacy.
Outgoing President Md Jashim Uddin reflected on his tenure, highlighting completion of SAARC CCI headquarters building in Islamabad as a major milestone for institutional independence and financial sustainability.
