PESHAWAR: Former President Khyber Pakthunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KPCCI), Yousaf Sarwar said Thursday that strike of employees of Pakistan International Airline (PIA) was adversely affecting business activities in the province besides causing colossal losses to the national kitty.
Yousaf Sarwar told APP that investors, businessmen and industrialists of Khyber Pakthunkhwa was facing great difficulties to reach Karachi and abroad to attend their scheduled meetings with business and industrial firms due to cancellations of PIA flights owing to strike by its employees.
"I have a very important business engagement in Karachi and deferred my planned visit to the port city due to cancellation of PIA flight the other day," he told APP, adding private airlines were taking full advantage of the prevailing standoff between the Government and PIA employees and are charging the passengers very heavily.
The poor labourers and people visited for umra are facing immense problem to return their country despite purchasing PIA tickets from their heard earned money. "I ask what mistake has been done by poor labourers, businessmen and people who were trapped in foreign countries," he added.
Yousaf Sarwar said peaceful protest was the right of every citizen but it should not be allowed at the cost of difficulties to the passengers.
There is a room for peaceful strikes in public service, but making hostage people for pressing their demands and closing of flights operation was an unjustified and criminal act.
He urged PIA employees to set together with the Government and solve their problems through table talks instead protesting on roads. Sarwar expressed condolences with families of slain PIA protestors in Karachi and demanded arrest of the perpetrators.
To a question about announced strikes by some opposition parties for February 6, he said the economic indicators were showing very positive signs and the country can't afford unjustified strikes and agitation politics.
All the reputable monetary institutions of the world have termed the economic indictors' of Pakistan's very positive and we need to consolidate the economic gains achieved by the present elected government, he said. The KPCCI leader said some political parties were using the issue of PIA out of proportion for political gains, adding exploiting this issue for political mileage was no service to the country and PIA.
Sarwar said political stability and peaceful environment was required for a vibrant and sustained economic growth and maintaining atmosphere of unity was imperative for sustained economic progress and durable peace in the country.
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