Daily Times

Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) newly-elected chairman Mian Nauman Kabir has demanded a high-level probe into massive devaluation of local currency by over Rs10 in a single day. He also demanded the State Bank to identify the reasons and share the findings with the business community. He said that Pak rupee has weakened by around Rs22 against the dollar from June 1, 2018. The rupee slide has resulted in around Rs 2,200 billion increase in the country’s debt.

The PIAF Chairman while issuing a statement along with senior vice chairman Nasir Hameed and vice chairman Javed Iqbal Siddiqui, was of the view that the sharp downfall in the rupee value had not only disturbed almost all sectors of the economy but also brought a new wave of price spiral that would not die down despite dollar’s retreat.

Mian Nauman Kabir said that the illegal international transactions in dollar-denominations via Dubai are creating shortage of dollars in the Pakistani open market. The PIAF office bearers appealed the government to direct the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA), Intelligence Bureau, Customs Intelligence and the State Bank of Pakistan to keep strict vigilance to control currency and bullion smuggling. They urged the SBP to immediately take notice of the situation which is causing panic in the currency market.

“10 rupees increase in dollar price in a single day was an unusual phenomenon for a country like Pakistan as the mafia involved in this affair made billions of rupees in a single day while on the other hand those who bought the greenback to fulfill their foreign commitments suffered a great loss.” Chairman PIAF urged the government to take action against shortage of dollar in local market, besides controlling surge of dollar against rupee. PIAF Chairman said the local currency depreciation has inflicted heavy losses on the national economy.

Published in Daily Times, October 12^th 2018.