FPCCI lauds Imran’s foreign policy vision

ISLAMABAD (INP): President of the FPCCI Ghazanfar Bilour on Sunday lauded the foreign policy vision of the incoming Prime Minister Imran Khan. In his victory speech charting out his vision for the nation, he offered a glimpse of his foreign policy priorities which is a laudable goal, he said. He noted that the incoming PM talked about different countries but the first one among them was China which is investing billions in CPEC and Pakistan can learn from its experience to lift people out of poverty.  Imran Khan has rightly noted that Afghan people have suffered a lot and said that he wanted to see open borders with Afghanistan which is a very positive statement, he added. Ghazanfar Bilour said that Khan’s stress on mutually beneficial and balanced relations with the US, as opposed to one-way ties and a possible peace-making role in the Middle East, is encouraging. PTI supremo has highlighted the desire to improve trade and commercial ties between Pakistan and India to benefit both and to reduce poverty which is heartening as it will improve overall environment in the SAARC region.

Bilour said that majority of the world’s poor lives in the SAARC region which can be lifted out of poverty if both countries agree to decide matters through talks.

It will also trigger regional trade and ensure peace which will benefit all the countries and the business community, he added.

The PTI has rewritten the history and changed the political landscape of the country which has raised hope among masses and the business community which has also reduced demand for the dollar and boosted sentiments in the stock market.

“His resolve to reduce expenses, support poor, enhance transparency and accountability and creating opportunities are noble motives.”

The FPCCI president said that business community was very encouraged due to the PTI victory which is also evident from the sentiments in the market and he hopes that the party will deliver.

SCA says farmers of tail-end areas deprived of water

HYDERABAD (APP): The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) decried over failure of the irrigation authorities to supply water to the farmers in the tail-end area of the canals despite abundant water in the River Indus. A meeting of the SCA at its office here Sunday, also demanded the government to control inflating price of diesel and fertiliser, fix Rs 1500 per maund price of rice crop and to ask the sugar mills  to pay dues to the farmers. The meeting was chaired by SCA's President Qabool Muhammad Khatian while the farmers’ representatives from Karachi, Sanghar, Sukkur and Ghotki attended through the video link. The farmers complained that all the canals springing from Sukkur and Kotri barrages are full of water but there still prevails shortage of water for irrigation. They held the irrigation officials responsible for the water scarcity accusing them of supplying water to the rich farmers in excess against alleged bribes.

The meeting highlighted the financial straits of the farmers whose dues had not been paid by the sugar mills, forcing them to buy inputs for growing new crops through borrowing against huge interest rates.

The agriculturist asked the Sindh Government to fix the support price of rice crop at Rs1,500 per maund. Among others, Zahid Hussain Bhurgari, Syed Aijaz Nabi Shah, Nabi Bux Sathio, Mir Abdul Kareem Talpur, Asghar Noonari, Muhammad Khan Sarejo, Mir Sikandar Talpur, Ghulam Mujtaba Unar and Rasool Bux Malano attended the meeting.

PEW asks US, India to change attitude towards changed Pakistan

ISLAMABAD (INP): The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Sunday said the country is poised to become a progressive and moderate state following the landslide victory of PTI in the general elections. Now, the US, India and European Union should also change their attitude towards our country as global and regional stability is linked to the stability of Pakistan, it said. International lenders like IMF, World Bank, Asian Development Bank should also alter their position which is in their best interest, said Dr Murtaza Mughal, President PEW. He said the PTI has many seasoned politicians having experience of handling foreign affairs but it should not delay the announcement of their finance minister to infuse confidence in the encouraged and jubilant business community. Mughal said the economic matters should get as much importance as the political matters for the sake of political and economic stability which was missing since long.

Politics and economics should not be mixed, rather keeping economics insulated from political issues would be a great success of the new government.

He said that expectations are running high, therefore, the economic managers of PTI will have to work hard to improve the situation. Mughal said that State Bank, FBR and the Planning Commission should be made independent of political meddling and an immediate action should be initiated against those who have hidden their wealth abroad.

He said the tax amnesty scheme has started attracting more people after elections while FBR has earned 2.5 billion in just one day, therefore, it should be extended in the national interest.

Women entrepreneurs to unconditionally support PTI govt

ISLAMABAD (INP): Samina Fazil, founder President, Islamabad Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IWCCI) Sunday said women have pinned high hopes incoming Prime Minister Imran Khan who has successfully changed the country’s rotten political culture forever. All the women entrepreneurs agree to the developmental agenda of our new batsman who will put the country on the path of progress and prosperity, she said. In a statement issued here today, Samina said the women have voted for the success of PTI as they were certain that Imran will take meaningful steps to empower them which will reduce poverty in the country. She anticipated that the PTI government will take concrete steps to empower the women representing the majority of the population as they would extend all the out cooperation in realising the noble goals of the government. Women should be brought into the mainstream and they must be included in the economic activities which will result in uplift of the social sector, she added.

Masses are fed up of those who relied on flowery statements and hollow slogans, now they want a change, therefore, they have voted PTI in power, she said, adding that those who believe in serving the masses will transform Pakistan into a developed and progressive state.

Lauding the efforts of Imran in the eradication of corruption and bringing back stolen funds she demanded that Pakistan still have hundreds of billions of dollars abroad that should be brought back to fix the crumbling economy.

The nation is celebrating the victory of Imran Khan with zeal and enthusiasm and masses will support him in the journey to the national development, she said.