LAHORE – Hundreds of people participated in a walk arranged by the Lahore Chambers of Commerce (LCCI) on Wednesday. The walk titled ‘Business Walk’ is part of the ongoing LCCI Shopping Festival that is gradually reaching fever pitch. People from various sections of society turned up in large numbers to participate in the walk that started from the LCCI office and culminated at Governor’s House.
The motive of the walk was to take people out of the gloom that has enveloped the terror-hit city and restore the city to its original hustle and bustle that was once its hallmark. There were businesspeople, politicians, members of civil society, students and teachers who were excited about the idea of reinvigorating the city.
MNA Pervaiz Malik, cricketer Wahab Riaz, LCCI President Shahzad Ali Malik, Senior Vice President Sheikh Mohammad Arshad, Vice President Sohail Azhar, former LCCI presidents Mohammad Ali Mian. Mian Anjum Nisar, Mian Shafqat Ali and Executive Committee members led the walk.
Praising LCCI for arranging Business Walk, Pervez Malik said that such activities were absolutely necessary to tell the world that Pakistanis as a nation were determined to get back their right place in the international market and that they would continue their struggle for the country’s economic revival.
He said that Punjab Chief Minister Mian Mohammad Shahbaz Sharif was putting in his best efforts to turn the province into a hub of business activity. He said it was not only education which was on the priority list of the chief minister but the widening gap between the rich and the poor was equally worrying him. Pervez Malik said that the LCCI’s initiative of Lahore Shopping Festival was a step in the right direction that would help promote business and economic activity in the province.
He said that the Punjab government would continue to supplement the LCCI in efforts to promote economic activity. In his address, Cricket World Cup fame Wahab Riaz said that everybody, be it a sportsman, a scientist, a journalist, or a teacher, should contribute to the country’s progress. Earlier, the participants of the walk warmly welcomed the national hero and chanted full-throat slogans in his praise.
Meanwhile, in the two-day photography competition & exhibition titled “My Lahore,” Nawaz Alam and Farhan Zohaib won the first prize of one hundred thousand rupees each in the professional and student categories, while Umer Shahid and Fahad Khan secured second and third positions. Israr Ahmad Chishti, Ejaz Fareed Mirza, Guddu Shani and Naeem Akram officiated at the competition in which 200 hundred photographers took part.
Speaking to the participants, LCCI Senior Vice President Mohammad Arshad, former President Mohammad Ali Mian and former Executive Committee Members Sardar Usman Ghani and Nasir Saeed dilated upon objectives of the Lahore Shopping Festival. They said that the festival got an excellent response from the public.
They paid rich tribute to the LCCI Information Department for organizing “My Lahore” and praised students Osama, Anees and Arifa for their untiring efforts to make the event a success.
