The protest of Frontier Printers and Publishers Association (FPPA) against NWFP Text Book Board continued for the second consecutive day. But later on differed protest on the assurance from the management of Textbook Board of NWFP.
The president-elect of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Riaz Arshad, President Industrialists Association Peshawar (IAP) and former president IAP, Nauman Wazir also announced support for the printers and publishers. The leaders of the business community urged the management of Textbook Board to resolve the matters amicably.
A delegation of the printers and publishers association and industrialists also held a meeting with the management of textbook board for the resolution of the dispute. However, the stubbornness of the management of board blocked the resolution of the dispute.
On the second day of protest the representatives from both the sides held a meeting on a two-point agenda. The officials of board requested for time to evolve consensus for the resolution of the problems.
On getting written assurance printers and publishers postponed their protest till Monday. However, due to the unjustified behaviour of the board, the president of Printers and Publishers Association, Iqtidar Ali Akhundzada and other office bearers decided to expand the circle of their protest.
The association had warned that in case of the failure of board for taking positive steps to resolve the problems they would take out protest procession and stage sit-in in front of Bacha Khan Markaz, headquarters of ruling ANP.
The association had made it clear that former governor NWFP Syed Iftikhar Hussein Shah and former chief minister Akram Khan Durrani in larger interest of the industrial development and printing industry of the province had issued strict directives for banning the printing outside the province.