Traders urge PM Shehbaz to hold talks with Imran Khan, improve ties with India

KARACHI – Traders have urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to hold talks with PTI Chairman Imran Khan and India for economic stability in the country.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Karachi, where he paid his respects at the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam and held meetings with the Sindh government. 

Later, he also addressed the business community in Karachi.

During the meeting with the traders, business personalities suggested that he engage in dialogue with Imran Khan. The traders also advised the prime minister to improve relations with India and other neighbouring countries.

Arif Habib, the head of the Arif Habib Group, said, "You have allied with various parties including the Pakistan People's Party. I would like you to extend more alliances, one with neighboring India and other countries, and another with the inmates of Adiala Jail, Imran Khan. You have taken the stock market to new heights, but please also lower the price of electricity."

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his confidence that volume of Pakistan’s exports would be doubled over the next five years with the support of the country’s business community. 

He said the government, in consultation with the business community will chalk out a comprehensive policy framework to increase the country’s exports that would ultimately help ensuring export-led growth.

He said the export-led growth would also help resolving the foreign exchange reserves’ issues in Pakistan. 

“You are actually the backbone of the country’s economy as without your support, the government can not bring the country out of economic crisis,” the prime minister. He invited the business community to sit with the government to resolve their issues and challenges as this was the only way to move forward to bring development and prosperity in Pakistan. 

“We should get together in larger interest of the country and the brilliant minds should together find ways to resolve the challenges and problems hindering the country’s development and prosperity,” he said adding that this was the only way to regain our lost glory. 

The prime minister highlighted that the government was fully focused on bringing revolution in sectors of agriculture, mines & minerals, information technology and industry. He also expressed the government’s resolve to reduce unemployment, poverty and inflation in the country. 

PM Shehbaz highlighted that due to the efforts of interim and current governments, positive news were being received in macro economic indicators. “Current account is in surplus, remittances are going higher, inflation is moving down, and the stock exchange is showing record progress,” he remarked. 
The prime minister pointed out that the government paid rebates worth of Rs 65 billion immediately after taking over the office. He asked the business community to bring in modern techniques and technologies and high quality marketing in their businesses. 

He said an amount of Rs 2.7 trillion of tax money was stuck in litigation. He said the government was trying to get the decisions of the cases as soon as possible.