KARACHI: President of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Iftikhar Ahmed Vohra strongly protested federal government’s move to keep KCCI away from participating in a crucial meeting presided over by Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad which was held to discuss numerous issues being faced by the business and industrial community of Pakistan.
According to a statement issued here, Iftikhar Vohra stated that although some of the most pressing and serious issues pertaining to Karachi city, its law and order situation, ongoing Karachi operation, taxation issues and high tariffs were addressed by the PM during the meeting but it was a matter of grave concern for the entire business and industrial community that KCCI, which represents 90 percent of the business and industrial community of Karachi, ignored as not a single representative of Karachi Chamber was invited to attend this important meeting.
“It has become a very disheartening situation for KCCI and we fear that the Prime Minister is probably being misguided either by the Ministry of Commerce or by Board of Investment or whosoever as they simply don’t want KCCI to attend such an important meeting”, he added.
“We have been sidelined because of our habit of speaking the truth only and this situation emerged after PM’s meeting terribly discouraged us but that does not mean we will stop speaking the truth. We will continue to vocally raise voice for the rights of business and industrial community of Karachi”, he added.
He reiterated that as Karachi city contributes more than 65 percent to the national exchequer thus most of the issues discussed at meeting were related to Karachi but unfortunately, the authorities deliberately ensured that KCCI do not becomes part of the meeting.
