The business community of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has urged upon both federal and provincial governments to convene a consultative meeting of all stakeholders to prepare a comprehensive strategy for ending lockdown announced in the country to prevent the outbreak of coronavirus and offered full cooperation to governments in this regard.

The demand was made during a press conference addressed by the leaders of the business community including former President, Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Haji Ghulam Ali, Coordinator FPCCI for KP, Sartaj Ahmad Khan, Senior Vice President (SVP), Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Shahid Hussain, President, Mardan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Zahir Shah and former Vice President, FPCCI, Mohammad Adnan Jalil.

During the press conference, the Coordinator FPCCI, Sartaj Ahmad Khan readout the charter of demands of the business community of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and said that the ongoing lockdown has inflicted a loss of Rs1trillion by the traders and industrialists and demanded the announcement of a relief package to compensate business community by the province. He said that although they are welcoming the relief package announced by the federal government, but its benefits have not reached to the province so far. He called for the waiving of the mark-up of the loans and announcement of grants for both small and large industrial units for settlement of their utility bills.