The disturbing events of last few days that stoked further unrest and uncertainty inflicted losses of billions of rupees to the economy, which according to some financial experts is already at the edge of default. Rightly concerned on current situation, Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has issued a compelling plea to all political parties to prioritise revival of national economy by setting aside their differences and uniting under a comprehensive Charter of Economy.
This is not the first time that such a call has come from business community yet regrettable part is that all these have only fallen on deaf ears. In fact each segment of society is disturbed over current state of affairs. Nobody is ready to take a step back and reduce the level of escalation — brunt of which is borne by no other than the economy and the people. It appears as if they consider their political interests more important and supreme than national interests. This political confrontation is shifting focus from challenges faced by the country on multiple fronts especially economy. The LCCI’s latest plea for political parties to unite under Charter of Economy is based on the understanding that stability and prosperity depend on collective action and shared responsibility. Given their contributions, these entrepreneurs are one of the most important stakeholders. Their concerns are genuine and their call should not go unnoticed. Political instability is affecting their businesses the most and if situation remains unaddressed, they will have no other option but to move their businesses somewhere else which will have far more disastrous consequences for our economy. Already hundreds of thousands of people have been rendered jobless because of closure of various business units caused by import restrictions. Instead of calling each other terrorists, fascists and corrupt, political parties need to come together and collectively steer the country out of current dire straits. We will also ask the business leaders to engage with political parties to bring the temperature down.
