Rulers' incompetence , not sit-in, cause of economic downfall: PAT

Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has taken a strong exception to the statement of the Punjab Chief Minister in which he held PAT sin-in responsible for the decline of Pakistan by one point on the graph of unsafe countries for business issued by the World Bank. PAT termed the statement of the Punjab Chief Minister as misleading, baseless and contrary to facts on the ground.

This was stated by the Central President of Pakistan Awami Tehreek Dr Raheeq Ahmed Abbasi, while speaking in a debate on “Economy and sit-ins’ held at the central secretariat of PAT on Friday. He said the rulers have all their investments abroad and carry on their businesses in foreign countries and under such circumstances why would foreigners come and invest in Pakistan.

The PAT leader said that on the instructions of the Chairman of PAT Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, a special cell comprising economists, businessmen and traders has been set up to keep a strict eye on the government’s management of the country’s economy and inform the public of the anti-people policies being followed by the rulers. He said that the formal announcement and names of the members of the committee will be announced by Dr. Qadri himself when he returns from abroad next month.

The PAT leader, while talking about the World Bank report, said that the report has pinpointed the reasons why foreign investors are not interested in coming to Pakistan and investing their money here. He said that in no way does the responsibility rest on the shoulders of the PAT sit-in but the reasons are the unfriendly attitude of the concerned departments, power shortages, the unjust taxation system and the worsening law and order situation that prevails in the country.

Out rightly rejecting all allegations of the Punjab CM, Dr Raeeq Abbasi said that all the businessmen and traders organizations have clearly stated that power and gas load shedding, the worsening law and order situation are causing a loss of $ one billion every year. Industries are closing and workers are being rendered jobless. He said under such circumstances the sit-in cannot be held responsible for the decline in the rating of Pakistan.

During the debate the PAT central Secretary General Khurram Nawaz Gandapur, provincial president Basharat Jaspal, Fayyaz Warraich, Sultan Ch, Jawad Hamid, Sajid Bhatti and others also spoke.

Dr Raheeq Abbasi said that instead of pointing fingers at others, the Punjab Chief Minister should concentrate on his own performance for the betterment of the people of the province.