ISLAMABAD (APP) - Federal Minister for Industries and Production Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani has directed the Engineering Development Board (EDB) to workout a strategy to resolve the issues of surgical instruments industry. The minister gave this directive in workshop on Challenges and Potentials of Surgical Instruments Industry arranged by the Board of EDB here on Monday. He acknowledged the contribution of surgical industry and asked for the gradual transformation to manufacture high-tech and more value-added instruments for industrial growth which result in more increase in exports and employment opportunities. The government fully believes in the qualitative, standardized and competitive domestic surgical industrial products at global level and is ready to extend every kind of cooperation and assistance in this regard, he said. The minister highlighted the increasing role of surgical industry of Sialkot in the local economy and described it as a skill based industry, which over the years has achieved absolute competitive advantage in the global business of manufacturing of surgical instruments. Mir Bijarani said that the industry has provided employment to more than 150,000 skilled labor force. and is the top earner of foreign exchange amongst all sectors in the domestic engineering industry.