President of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry Irfan Qaiser Sheikh, Senior Vice President Kashif Younis Meher and Vice President Saeed Nazar had an hour-long meeting with chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Khalid Shamim Waynne and strongly condemned NATO aggression and termed the incident as an attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty. They had also discussed economic challenges being faced by the country with Chairman JCSC.
According to details, during their meeting Chairman JCSC and LCCI office-bearers said entire business community unanimously condemns the NATO attack on security posts in Mohmand Agency, martyring 24 security forces personnel and injuring 13 others. They said that whole nation was standing with Pakistan Army and fully supports the stance of government and Pakistan armed forces on the issue of NATO aggression. They said that NATO forces was calling Pakistan ally in the war against terrorism but treated like an enemy and Pakistani nation would not tolerate any such aggression in future.
They said Pakistan had faced a loss of thousands army personnel and civilians and more than $60 billion in war against terrorism. They said international community should take notice of this blatant violation of international norm.
They said acute electricity, gas shortage, over 72 per cent hike in electricity prices in last five months, highest ever markup, huge banking spread, Rs600 billion annually loss in state-owned enterprises, unskilled workforce and poor infrastructure are the main factors of economic meltdown.
Irfan Qaiser Sheikh, Kashif Younis Meher and Saeeda Nazar informed Chairman JCSC that certain sectors have reservation on MFN status to India. Government must remove reservations of pharmaceutical, automobile, motorcycle, petrochemical, autoparts, sugar, textile, cooking oil and ghee industries before signing MFN treaty document with India.
They said that Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry was in favour of trade promotion with regional countries; especially with next door neighbours for the sake of peace, prosperity and economic revival. But MFN status must not be at the cost of industry therefore private sector must be taken into confidence before signing Most Favoured Nation Treaty with India.
On the occasion, issues of Pak-Iran Gas pipeline project and security situation also came under discussion. At the end, chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Khalid Shamim Waynne presented mementos to LCCI office-bearers.
