Staff Reporter
Lahore
Business community expressing serious concerns over politics of agitation and confrontation said that only political stability can steer out the country from inherited fractured economy and strengthen the democratic system of government in the country.
Engineer Daroo Khan Achakzai President Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) expressed these views while talking to United Business Group (UBG) Chairman Iftikhar Ali Malik on Friday by telephone from Turkey and both the leaders of the business community were of the view that surviving of Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani against no confidence move would strengthen the democratic system in the country.
They further said Sanjrani would maintain good working relations with all stakeholders including business community and would utilize his best abilities for political stability and economic uplift of the country.
Daroo Khan said political agitations and planned sits-in across the country clubbed with political turmoil could play havoc with already inherited fragile national economy and only political stability studded with uninterrupted continuity of democratic system of government laced with better law and order is a must for making Pakistan an economic giant among the comity of nations.
He said that the political leadership of the country should demonstrate maturity and be refrained from the blame game and for developing national cohesion, adding that such things would end up in nothing except political unrest. He said the call for protests by opposition parties at this crucial stage is not in national interests and if political instability continued, it would badly hamper the national economy and discourage foreign investors, which makes Pakistan an even more precarious place to invest. He said economic development and corresponding prosperity were intertwined with sound political stability.
Daroo Khan urged the leaders of all political parties to help strengthen democratic system by burying their political differences and ironing out their vested interests. He added that political stability was a key factor worldwide for economic development and restoring confidence of foreign and local investors.
He said that in the international scenario, only such countries would survive in days to come which had a strong economic base. He said that if international disputes could be settled down through negotiations and parleys, why not political issues could be solved amicably in Pakistan.
Iftikhar Malik said corporate sector is an asset of Pakistan that has sustained itself in tough conditions. He said that private sector is playing vital role for boosting the economy of the country so it is the prime responsibility of the government to fully support and encourage private sector to play leading role in the economy. “We should all work together tirelessly in our respective selected sectors to take the country to new heights of glory and economic prosperity,” he added.
He said that Pakistan had copper and gold deposits, Thar coal reserves, about more than 40,000 MW potential of hydro power generation in Gilgit- Baltistan, fertile land in Punjab and yet ironically the people of the country were stricken with energy deficiency. He said that the country was passing through a critical phase of its history in the wake of war against terror which, he added, warranted stable democracy and continuous healthy economic growth.
Reposing confidence in Prime Minister, he said Imran Khan’s resolve to ensure strict accountability across the board is highly appreciated by the business community in particular and the masses in general. He said Imran Khan has initiated meaningful reforms across all the important fields to make Pakistan prosperous and respected country which will help him winning hearts and minds of the people.
Iftikhar Malik further asked the government to promote domestic commerce to trigger economic growth. However, politicians should be judged not on their promises but on their ability to deliver,” he concluded.
