KARACHI: President of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Younus Muhammad Bashir, while expressing deep concern over the arrest of two top executives of AKD Securities Limited by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), stated that the business and industrial community of Karachi is deeply shocked over this incident and it was not acceptable at any cost.
In a statement issued, President KCCI demanded that the FIA must clarify its action against the CEO and CFO of AKD Securities, which has been taken on the basis of a research report prepared by the AKD Securities.
How could a Brokerage House be held responsible for the ups and downs in trading of shares, he asked, adding that it was highly unfair to arrest the executives of AKD Securities on the basis of a report which predicted appreciation in shares of a particular company but on the contrary, these shares depreciated which is not an unusual incident as it can happen in anytime in any stock exchange around the world.
He mentioned that AKD Securities’ executives have been picked up in the case of EOBI’s share trading wherein as many as 40 buyers and sellers were involved who sold and purchased EOBI shares while the main accused in EOBI scam have never been arrested.
Younus Bashir stated that it was a sheer act of harassment against the business and industrial community of Karachi which is not acceptable at any cost as such arrests are made to disturb of the business and industrial community of Karachi, which contributes a massive chunk of more than 65 percent revenue to the national kitty.
“If such anti-business and extremely harassing business atmosphere prevails, the businessmen and industrialists in Karachi will have no other option but to rethink their business strategies on how/ whether to continue their businesses or not. The situation will have a negative impact on the overall economic performance of the country as it is a well-known fact that Karachi city plays the leading role in Pakistan’s economy”, he added.
He urged Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar to take strict notice of this particular incident to refrain the FIA from taking such unfounded steps which would have a deep negative impact on Pakistan’s economy.
