In the current unfavorable situation, instead of bashing each other as thieves, politicians should work together to save the country and help the flood victims. Although Miftah Ismail was not very experienced, he handled the IMF issues well and we are happy that the IMF approved the loan for Pakistan, but we have to struggle to stand on our feet.
These views were expressed by United Business Group (UBG) and Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) Patron-in-Chief SM Muneer, President UBG Zubair Tufail, President KATI Salman Aslam, Chairman UBG Sindh Region Khalid Tawab, Secretary General UBG Sindh and Balochistan Region Hanif Gohar, Mirza Ikhtiar Baig during a joint press conference on Wednesday at Karachi Press Club. Zubair Chhaya, Danish Khan, Sheikh Umar Rehan, Mumtaz Sheikh, and Noor Ahmed Khan were also present on this occasion.
SM Muneer said that most of the area of Pakistan has been submerged due to the biggest flood in history. The country’s economy is in a very bad state, 90 percent of Faisalabad’s industries have closed down, exports have also suffered a severe blow, we are facing huge losses, exports have reduced massively, and even my company’s exports have also reduced by 23 percent. The government promised a surcharge of 9 cents on five export sectors, but charged 14 cents, which will further hit exports. He said that due to the flood, the agricultural products, especially the cotton crop, have been destroyed, and in these conditions, there has been a shortage of food items.
The economy slow down and industrialization is on a halt, unemployment ratio is increasing rapidly, due to which the incidents of crime and looting have increased in Karachi. He said that humanity is suffering in the flood-affected areas, and helping the affected people is not only the job of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, but the federal ministers should also visit the affected areas and help the victims. In response to a question, SM Muneer said that new dams should be built in the country, and those who took money in the name of dams will have to be accountable.
He said that we are sending relief goods to the affected areas of Balochistan and Sindh through KATI under the leadership of Salman Aslam, but these goods are also looted during the commute. SM Muneer said that the philanthropists of Karachi should send more goods to the affected areas, we are happy that the Karachi Chamber has done a lot to help the flood victims after us. I congratulate Zubair Motiwala and all his colleagues on this. SM Muneer said that negative propaganda against Pakistan Army should be stopped on social media, Army is the most active to help the flood victims. Our Pakistan Army is handling the country, propaganda against the Army should be stopped immediately. He said that Imran Khan collected 5 billion rupees in 2 hours, and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari collected 1.3 trillion rupees from the international community, this money can be used for the flood victims and even help in clearing Pakistan’s debt.
President UBG Zubair Tufail said that it is sad to see the devastation caused by rains and floods in Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and South Punjab. We need to reach the needy people in time, the flood has destroyed the economy of Pakistan and there is a danger that there will be a rapid increase in unemployment in the country, which is feared to worsen the law and order situation. He said that the country is facing a serious crisis, political parties should find a solution to the problem and if they keep fighting, no one will help Pakistan.
President KATI Salman Aslam said that people in Balochistan are surrounded by various problems including health and financial problems due to floods. In Badin, Sehwan, Kahirpur, Larkana and other parts of Sindh people are in dire need of food, Dresses for women and children, mosquito nets, skin diseases are spreading quickly, people have no place to hide, and their livestock has also died.
Salman Aslam further said that under the leadership of SM Muneer and with the support of the business community, KATI is continuously providing relief goods to the flood victims, philanthropists should contribute more.
Khalid Tawab said that despite being an agricultural country, we will have to import cotton and other agricultural commodities, political parties should make a joint plan to restore the economy, businessmen are very concerned and the coming days don’t look very good at all, infrastructure due to floods has been destroyed, the condition of transportation and roads must be improved.
Hanif Gohar said that 16 and a half crore rupees have been collected in a day in a meeting held in ABAD to help the flood victims, which will be handed over to the DG Rangers after two days so that they can reach the affected areas on time. He said that if the country faces difficult times in the future, we will serve the country under the leadership of SM Muneer.
Mirza Ikhtiar Baig said that the government should work with all the political parties in the economy, they must separate politics from the economy, and we must support the affected people by putting our political differences aside.
Photo Caption: Patron-in-Chief of UBG & KATI SM Muneer, President UBG Zubair Tufail, President KATI Salman Aslam addressing to the joint press conference at Karachi Press Club, Khalid Tawab, Zubair Chhaya, Danish Khan, Mumtaz Sheikh, Noor Ahmad Khan and Sheikh Umar Rehan is also present.
