Businessmen Worried Over Renewed Incidents Of Terrorism

Source: online news

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has already lost sufficient chunk of foreign/ domestic investment and business activities due to rising phenomenon of terrorism and bomb blasts forcing many investors and businessmen to look for safe destination for investment.

Due to this factor businessmen have always been clamouring for improving law and order situation enabling them to promote business and economic activities smoothly but the current fresh and vigorous wave of bomb blasts, killings of innocent citizens and the security personnel and the hair-raising incident of the flogging of a teenage girl in Swat publicly have created new waves of concerns in traders and industrialists. This was observed by Mian Shaukat Masud, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry in a meeting of local business community at ICCI, called to discuss these matters.

The businessmen said that such agonizing incidents will act as a demoralizing factor for prospective investors who will desist from considering Pakistan for investment ventures. They said Pakistan’s economy will be the biggest loser from these inhuman and ghastly acts which no religion in the world allows. In the past few days more than 150 people have lost their lives in the gory bomb blasts in different parts of the country.

The siege of Manawan Police Training Centre; suicide blast at a crowded mosque in Bajaur during Friday prayers last month; suicide attack at the entrance of Special Branch of Police at Sitara Market, Islamabad; Saturday’s attack on FC Islamabad and Sunday’s bomb blast at an Imambargah in Chakwal, near Rawalpindi will send disappointing signals to entrepreneurs and investors throughout the world providing more supporting material to foreign emissaries to advise investors and people against visiting Pakistan.

Mian Shaukat Masud said already trade and industry is struggling for its survival due to many unfavorable factors while deteriorating law and order situation will make conditions worst for them. He said if this trend continued, businessmen will be plunged into deep troubles as they will not be able to do business in such environment where they would always be worried about their life and property. He called upon the government to take all possible measures and equip security apparatus with better technology, equipment and tools to forestall such incidents effectively and control the elements that have expedited their nasty agenda of creating anarchy, bloodshed and frustration in the country in connivance with foreign elements.