A high-ranking delegation of the National Security Workshop of the National Defence University (NDU) visited Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) as part of their course on Saturday.
The delegation was comprised of parliamentarians, bureaucrats, representatives of the private sector, members Civil Society and armed forces. FPCCI Vice President Mr Haroon Rashid Sheikh welcomed the delegates and briefed the participants on the economic contributions and functions of FPCCI. He orientated the delegates regarding the challenges faced by the Pakistani industry and said that there were three factors impeding the economic development of Pakistan. He identified them as the Energy crisis, deteriorating law and order situation and periodical shutter down strikes which beget losses worth billions of rupees.
While replying to a query by CACCI, SAARC CCI and FPCCI former President Tariq Sayeed, Haroon said that Karachi was being severely impoverished due to the deteriorating law and order situation and criticized the practice of deploying of thousands of police personnel on VIP duties. He urged the finance and interior ministers to address the fears the business community and plead the government to put an end to the parallel economy being run by tax evading illegal mafias operating in the city. He questioned the government’s practice of regulating the affairs of the trade bodies and hoped that the government would decree independence to the trade bodies like all liberal and prosperous countries.
Speaking on the occasion, Tariq Sayeed said that due to a negative propaganda being propagated by the western media, most of the Islamic Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) members were not willing to visit Pakistan. Elaborating upon his contempt of media practices, he said that a meeting of the Executive Committee of Islamic Chamber of Commerce (ECICCI) and Industry scheduled for December 9-10 at Karachi had to be cancelled as many members were advised by their respective embassies to not travel to Pakistan on account of shoddy security guarantees. He said that the ECICCI meeting was scheduled in Karachi after a lapse of 17 years and also brought into NDU’s delegation’s notice that FPCCI was busy nullifying efforts of some lobbies which were scheming to shift the head quarters of ICCI outside Pakistan.
Speaking on the occasion, Former President FPCCI and IPCCI president S M Muneer, said that “Pakistan is the only nuclear state in the entire Muslim World. What message are we giving to our Muslim brothers”. He said that the business community of Pakistan was playing a critical role to revive the national economy without Government’s cooperation, adding that the trade liberalization between India and Pakistan and would be beneficial for both the economies.
The proceedings were concluded by an interactive Q&A session between the NDU team and a distinguished panel comprising of Shaikh Shakil Ahmed Dhingra, Begum Salma Ahmed, Engr M A Jabbar, Dr Ikhtiar Baig, Mian Zahid, Arif Habib, Najumuddin Shaikh and FPCCI members executive committee.
