The Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Friday said the long march announced by Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran (TMQ) Chief Tahir ul Qadri will result in losses worth billions of rupees for the business community.
The long march will paralyse life in the federal capital while businessmen of the Blue Area will have to suffer major losses due to the three-day closure, said FPCCI Vice President Mirza Abdul Rehman in a statement issued by the FPCCI.
He said Qadri should consider the problems the masses will have to face and call off the long march or change its venue.
He said the business community has been facing hard times and they could not afford to close their shops to ensure the smooth flow of the long march.
“We are already facing many problems and it is possible that the long march would result in a law and order situation which would pose a grave threat to businesses”, Rehman added.
FPCCI Media Chairman Malik Sohail said Islamabad’s infrastructure could not bear the load of hundreds of thousands of protesters in the march.
The business leaders lauded Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s stance, who said the government would not issue a no-objection certificate to Qadri for holding a rally in the Blue Area.
Sohail said the government should take no risks for the security arrangements of the rally. Qadri’s party had not even been registered with the Election Commission and it could not bring out about any sort of change, but might even sabotage the election to bring about another dictatorial regime, Sohail added.
He said Qadri will be solely responsible if anyone is harmed.
