ISLAMABAD: ICCI President Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari has said that frequent adventurism by various stakeholders in the Federal Capital to register their protest adversely affected the business activities, causing losses to the businessmen, besides hardships for the citizens.
He was talking to a delegation of the National Press Club Islamabad led by its President Anwar Raza, which visited the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) to congratulate the its new office-bearers.
Ahsan Bakhtawari said once again the talks of a long march to Islamabad had created great concerns in the business community.
He urged the government to allocate a separate venue for any protest outside Islamabad so that the business community could be saved from damages and the economy might not suffer any more.
He proposed that ICCI and the National Press Club should jointly prepare policy papers and recommendations for the improvement of the economy that should be shared with the government to formulate business-friendly policies.
He said the ICCI had taken discounts for its members from various hospitals, laboratories and other institutions including schools and colleges, and efforts would be made to provide the same facilities to the NPC members.
The ICCI president emphasized that the journalist community should cooperate in highlighting the important problems of the business community to draw the attention of the government to address them.
Anwar Raza said the NPC had already organized a successful All Parties Conference for Revival of Economy in collaboration with the ICCI and it would take more such initiatives for the betterment of business and economic activities.
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists President Afzal Butt said the citizens of Islamabad also had rights just like the rights of other stakeholders. “Farmers, civil servants, religious and political parties often come to Islamabad for protest, which affects the rights of the citizens of Islamabad and also damages the businesses,” he added.
He said students were also becoming psychiatric patients because the roads of Islamabad were often blocked due to protests. Likewise, the patients had to face serious problems, he added, urging the government to make Islamabad free from all kinds of protests.
ICCI Vice President Azhar ul Islam Zafar, NPC Secretary General Raja Khalil and Vice President Azhar Jatoi also spoke on the occasion.
Both sides agreed to work together to protect the interests of the business and the journalist communities and improve the national economy.
