KARACHI: Chairman of the FPCCI Advisory Board and National Business Group Pakistan, President of Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum, Mian Zahid Hussain, said that hostile forces have focused on Balochistan to weaken Pakistan.
He said some countries with immense resources are provoking instability in Balochistan to fail CPEC. Despite all the security, continued terrorist incidents are alarming, which is sending negative signals. He said that enemies want to frustrate China, which should not be allowed. Whenever the CPEC project accelerates, terrorism also accelerates, which shows who is pulling the strings of the terrorists.
Balochistan is a vital province with which the peace of Pakistan is related, which is being disturbed by the terrorists. It has become necessary to eliminate terrorists from the entire country, including Balochistan. Otherwise, the government will become weak internally, he said.
Mian Zahid Hussain added that many other countries of the region, including our eternal enemy, are involved in worsening the situation of Balochistan, which amounts to playing with the security of Pakistan.
On the one hand, the law and order situation in the country is worrying; on the other hand, industries and businesses are finding it difficult to survive due to the price of electricity and high interest rates. Rising unemployment has left people worried, as a large number of industries and businesses are closing, but no one is ready to take notice of the situation, he said.
IPPs are not a business but a robbery, and now, the masses and companies cannot bear the burden of these white elephants. He said that promises of relief are being made to the people, but practically nothing is happening.
He said that the poor people of Pakistan are being forced to pay twice the price of electricity in America. Still, the government does not realize the situation because it has become clear that the IPPs and the country cannot go together.
Some ministers who took votes from the people have become the spokespersons of the IPPs instead of the public, causing concern across the country because the people no longer have the power to bear the burden of these cruel agreements. If the rulers cannot relieve the country and the nation, they have no right to increase the difficulties, he said.
He further said that according to the recent report, inflation has come down to 9 percent. Now, there is a need to reduce the rate of bank markup by at least four percent to create a favourable environment for business and industry.
About 40 percent of people in Pakistan live below the poverty line, so poverty can be reduced by promoting industry and trade in the country, which can make the government’s economic agenda successful and reduce inflation in the country. The commoner could be supported, and the situation on the ground could be changed, he said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024