LAHORE: All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has expressed deep grief and concerns over the arrest of its Zonal Chairman Hamid Zaman, a highly respected business leader of the country. Business and politics shouldn’t be interlinked. Business community feels businessmen are becoming part of collateral damage in result of current political turmoil.

Hamid Zaman is a distinguished, innovative and progressive businessman engaged in the entire value added chain of textile sector and managing one of the largest fashion retail outlets renowned all over the world. He is also widely acclaimed for his philanthropy, charity and community work. Hamid Zaman is an upright and elderly businessman respected by the business community at large.

APTMA has regretted that such a prominent business person of the country was suddenly incarcerated notwithstanding the fact that he had voluntarily joined the investigation and was fully cooperating with the investigators. His arrest and remand is an unnecessary step that does not inspire confidence in the business community. His business house is deeply rooted in the country and registered amongst one of largest tax payer.

In such a situation there was no cogent reason or justification to arrest a renowned business figure who is providing jobs to thousands of employees and earning huge valuable foreign exchange for Pakistan.

APTMA is against the apprehension of a tax compliant businessmen with unblemished record and believes that aggressive intervention has not only eroded trust and confidence of local businesses but has also spread severe sense of insecurity and instability in local trade and industry in addition to impacting the image of the country globally particularly in the context of the safeguarding of human rights.

APTMA believes in due diligence and justice by our judicial and federal institutions however feels this matter could be resolved in table talk.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022