Pak-US Business Council (PBC) has expressed its grave concern on adopting delaying tactics in timely release of assistance to Pakistan by US lawmakers without any plausible reasons. Council Founder Chairman Iftikhar Ali Malik, a veteran trade leader while speaking to media here this afternoon said it is on record that the spokesman at White House during weekly press briefing recently acknowledged widely with open heart that “Pakistan is the only country in world which had offered colossal human sacrifices and suffered irreparable economic loss in the fight against terror in the region”. He said that US lawmakers should realise and understand the gravity of the situation as Pak economy has sustained a loss of $4 trillion including $2 trillion in its economic sector in the aftermath of 9/11 debacle, militancy and turmoil in Afghanistan. He urged the US lawmakers to visit Pakistan first before considering any kind of proposed condition on assistance and evaluate the ground realities He said that “we elected top business leaders to brief the US lawmakers with facts and figure about the sorry state of affairs and bleak national economy in the wake of fight against terror”. Malik urged the Obama administration to ensure smooth release of assistance; otherwise inordinate delay will never serve the just cause of either country. He stated we, the entire business community is of the view that it is in the interest of both countries that US should not bring further restriction on economic and military assistance to Pakistan and ensures the release of funds without any delay to achieve the desired results. He said if US is a sincere friend of Pakistan then it should also fulfill its promise of providing US market access to Pakistani products at zero duty rate to strengthen the fragile economy. Malik said that entire business community including Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry and all its affiliated chambers across the country had already reposed their full confidence on the leadership of Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Kayani and expressed complete solidarity with brave armed forces of pakistan in fighting against terror in the region.
