LCCI condemns Nato's aggression

President Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Irfan Qaiser Sheikh, Senior Vice President Kashif Younis Meher and Vice President Saeed Nazar on Monday had a meeting with Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Khalid Shamim Waynne. The office bearers strongly condemned the Nato's aggression and termed the incident an attack on Pakistan's sovereignty. They also discussed economic challenges being faced by the country with Waynne.
According to the details, during their meeting with Chairman JCSC, the LCCI office-bearers said that the entire business community unanimously condemned the Nato attack on check posts in Mohmand Agency, killing 24 security forces personnel and injuring 13 others. They said that the whole nation was standing with the Pakistan Army and fully supports the stance of the government and Pakistan armed forces on the issue of Nato aggression. They said that Nato forces were calling Pakistan an ally in the war against terrorism but treated like an enemy and Pakistani nation would not tolerate any such aggression in future.
They said that Pakistan had faced loss of thousands of army personnel and civilians and more than $60 billion in war against terrorism. They said that the international community should take notice of this blatant violation of the international norm. They said that acute electricity, gas shortage, over 72 percent hike in electricity prices in the last five months, highest ever mark-up, huge banking spread, Rs 600 billion annually loss making state-owned enterprises, unskilled workforce and poor infrastructure were the main factors of economic meltdown.
They told the chairman JCSC that certain sectors have reservation on granting MFN status to India. The government must remove the reservations of pharmaceutical, automobile, motorcycle, petrochemical, auto-parts, sugar, textile, cooking oil and ghee industries before signing MFN treaty document with India.
They said that the LCCI was in favour of promotion of trade with regional countries for the sake of peace, prosperity and economic revival. But the MFN must not be at the cost of the industry therefore private sector must be taken into confidence before signing Most Favoured Nation Treaty with India. Issues of Pak-Iran gas pipeline project and security situation also came under discussion. Later, Waynne presented the mementos to the LCCI office-bearers.