Daily Times

The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has condemned an operation against traders in Bannu, wherein their shops were demolished.

In a statement on Friday, the FPCCI officials including Mohammad Zahid Shah, vice president, Mirza Abdul Rehman, coordinator Capital Office and Sartaj Ahmad Khan, Coordinator FPCCI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, declared the operation an economic murder of the Bannu’s business community. They said that the government and the administration should cooperate as patrons of the business community, instead of demolishing shops.

They said that FPCCI strongly condemns this move and demands the government that compensation should be given to those whose shops have been demolished in the name of so-called operation and the chamber office should be reopened immediately.

They said the Bannu administration is snatching jobs and businesses from the people and demolishing their shops. Mohammad Zahid Shah said that the authorities demolished shops and locked the chamber’s office without issuing a prior notice.

Condemning the move in strong words, he said that the business community across the country and especially in the backward areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cooperated fully with the government during the Covid 19 pandemic and the government rewarded this cooperation in response as demolition of business community shops and locking of chambers.