On Wednesday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment & Trade (KP BOIT) Vice Chairman Senator Ilyas Bilour and all nine members from the private sector announced their resignations over differences with the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) led provincial government.
“We have decided to resign from our designations in protest of the non-serious attitude of the KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak,” said Ilyas while addressing a press conference at the KP Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KPCCI).
KPCCI President Yousaf Sarwar and BOIT Board of Governors including Nauman Wazir, Zahid Shinwari and other prominent businessmen were also present at the occasion. Ilyas alleged that Khattak was not giving due attention to the business community and that he had been informed of Khattak’s idea of replacing him (Ilyas) and some other businessman.
“If provincial government wants to replace my team and I, we will tender our resignations in advance”, reacted the senator.
He also announced that the KPCCI would not extend any cooperation to the KP government and would only contact the federal government to resolve the business community’s problems.
Ilyas said that he formed the BOIT with the cooperation of the previous government with the objective of attracting foreign investment in the province.
The previous government reserved Rs100 million for the BOIT, Ilyas added.
However, he continued, due to certain bureaucratic hurdles the release of funds took time and Rs50 million were received in the current month. During the last seven to eight months the BOIT office bearers including Ilyas held several meetings in the KP chamber and even set up office at Deans Trade Centre.
The senator, who is also a former president of Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), said he was one of the senior most businessmen in the province and was elected as Rawalpindi Chamber’s in President in 1969.
He added that he was the only Senator from KP who was selected on a technocratic basis for fourth consecutive time because of his experience in the field of business.
