Politicians urged to play role for peace, harmony

The business community has urged the politicians to play their due role for peace and harmony in the country, as the ongoing political uncertainty is causing undue damage to Pakistan abroad.
The office bearers of different associations, including Pakistan Industrial and Traders Association Front Chairman Sohail Lashari, Auto Parts Manufacturers and Exporters Association Chairman, Tahir Javed Malik and Lahore Township Industries Association Chairman, Haroon Shafiq Chaudhry, in their joint statement on Friday, said the target killing incidents are not only sending a very wrong signal abroad, but also putting a very negative impact on the economy of the country.
People are feeling insecurity, as dozens of innocent people are being killed everyday and hence forcing the businessmen to close down their businesses, which, in turn, is causing a loss of billion rupees to the national economy. They lamented that despite heavy loss of human lives government has not evolved a comprehensive plan to control the situation. They further said that political parties are busy in blame game while anti-social elements are openly playing their ugly games. This city is a hub of industrial and economical activities and "Save Karachi" campaign is need of the hour, they stressed.
The office bearers of business associations recalled that recent flood created new stories of destruction as thousands of small and medium villages and towns disappeared and millions of people lost everything they had. Floods swallowed their cattle, homes and their land as well, they maintained. They observed that the industrial sector is already fighting with crisis-like massive input cost, high mark-up, energy crisis and incompatible policies of government while Karachi circumstances further aggravating the situation.
Target killings in Karachi have frozen the economic activities across the country and no foreign investor or buyer is ready to step in the country, particularly in Karachi. The business leaders urged the government and leaders of all political parties to immediately end their differences and evolve an effective security plan so that industrial and economic activities could be restored in the city.