Different trade bodies including Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industries (SCCI), industrialists association, match manufacturers, pharmaceuticals and marble associations on Friday staged a protest criticised the government for failing to recover Shakir Ishaq from the custody of the kidnappers.
They also protested against the law enforcement agencies for their negligence towards Shakir recovery case and demanded Shakir's quick recovery. Shakir Ishaq, younger brother of industrialist, Fawad Ishaq was kidnapped three months back, but the government and law-enforcement agencies had miserably failed to recover him from the possession of the kidnappers.
The members of SCCI, Industrialists Association Peshawar (IAP), and associations of match, ghee, pharmaceutical, flourmills and marble and the Muthahida Labour Federation (MLF) participated in the protest demonstration. The protesters led by the President, SCCI, Haji Mohammad Asaf demanded Shakir's immediate recovery and gave a 10-day ultimatum to the government in this regard.
'We would accelerate our protest in case the government fails in recovering the kidnapped industrialist,' he added. The former SCCI presidents, Mohsin Aziz, Ghulam Sarwar Khan Mohmand, Ghazanfar Bilour, Adeel Rauf, Malik Niaz Ahmad, president Industrialists Association, Nauman Wazir, Vice President, FPCCI, Fazal Elahi Khan, Malik Iftikhar Ahmad Awan, Fawad Ishaq, Riaz Arshad, Usman Bilour, Liaquat Bacha of MLF, members of the executive committee of SCCI and thousands of labourers working in the industrial units of the industrial estate participated in the protest.
Angry protestors in their address criticised the government for its indifferent attitude towards the kidnapping incident of Shakir Ishaq. 'The government has failed to provide security to the industrialists and traders,' they added.
Further, deteriorating law and order situation, particularly the regular incidents of kidnappings in broad daylight, has created the sense of insecurity in the business community of the province who have started shifting investment to other countries, they maintained.
The leaders of the business community also alleged that through a well-planned conspiracy, some elements are bent on disturbing the peaceful environment of the province. However, they vowed to foil the evil designs of the miscreants and vested interests. Furthermore, the representatives of business community warned the government of staging a massive protest movement if the kidnapped industrialist was not recovered within the given period.