LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said that doing business in Pakistan is difficult, while creating hurdles is easy.
She said providing public facilities is her top priority and that all possible measures are being taken to improve citizens’ lives and maintain law and order.
Addressing a meeting on law and order in Lahore, the chief minister said that “there is no greater satisfaction than seeing a rightful person get what they deserve.”
She noted that starting a business in Pakistan is challenging as bureaucratic obstacles discourage entrepreneurs even before they begin.
Maryam Nawaz stressed that citizens should feel the state stands with them in legitimate matters.
“If people are forced to pay bribes, seek recommendations, or face unnecessary trouble for lawful work, it is a failure of the government,” she said.
The chief minister directed officials to make it easier for people to do business. She said that departments and officers facilitating citizens would be appreciated by the Punjab government.
During the meeting, Maryam Nawaz was briefed on the e-business programme under the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB).
She instructed the authorities to set a two-week timeline for e-business processes and ordered all departments to provide NOCs under one roof within the set timeframe.
She also directed weekly reviews of pending e-Business applications to ensure prompt decisions.
On the other hand, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has acknowledged a notable rise in foreign direct investment (FDI), crediting the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) for creating policies that have boosted investor confidence and contributed to economic stability.
According to the central bank’s latest data, the energy sector attracted the highest level of foreign investment in September, recording inflows worth USD87 million. The financial services and food processing sectors followed with USD66.58 million and USD25.3 million, respectively.
The SBP report showed that during the first quarter of the current fiscal year, the energy sector remained the top recipient of foreign investment, reflecting growing investor interest in Pakistan’s power and infrastructure industries.