Sit-ins negatively impacted economy

KARACHI: Expressing their concerns to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, the traders' community said the economy is negatively impacted by sit-ins, adding a specific place should be designated to stage sit-ins. The community also complained that the PTI leadership is not giving proper time to the traders’ community in Karachi and MNA Arif Alvi was nowhere to be seen in his constituency.

Trade leader Arshad Ahmed Siddiqui said that the PTI Karachi was given a lot of importance in the last elections. However, he lamented that the only member of the National Assembly from the PTI, Arif Alvi, was neither seen in his constituency nor in any business community meeting.

He further added that Imran Khan had taught the people how to openly and bluntly present their viewpoints on corruption.

He said no one accepts Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as the prime minister and he does not even have his own voice. If the PM and ministers get involved in corruption, the countries are destroyed, he added. The PTI chief said in order to become Asif Ali Zardari’s student, I have to be reincarnated 100 times.

Earlier while speaking at a business community gathering here on Wednesday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman, Imran Khan, has said his economic plan for the country is a derivative of the policies of Trukish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and former Malaysian prime minister, Mahathir Mohammad. Khan cited the examples of Erdogan’s 2023 Vision and Mahathir ’s Vision 2020 and said both of the center-right politicians brought prosperity to their countries.

“Erdogan took onboard the businessmen… and Mahathir said that corruption is bringing downfall to the country,” the PTI chief said, adding that he met both of them and asked them about their governance which put their respective countries on the path to success.

The gathering was held at the office of the Korangi Association of the Trade and Industry as Khan arrived in the city on a two-day visit – his second in one-and-a-half month. The PTI chairman was flanked by the leaders of his party, including MNA Dr Arif Alvi, Faisal Vawda, Firdous Shamim Naqvi and others.

He said the country could not prosper until the government brings on board the business community. “The biggest challenge is of unemployment. You will find jobless people across the country,” he said, suggesting it could be resolved by helping industries run. “We can come up with a plan after consultations with the business community on how to raise the investments,” he said, adding Pakistan was way ahead of many regional countries during the glorious ‘60s .