November 16, 2001	Friday	Shaba'an 29, 1422

KARACHI, Nov 15: The industry leaders have sought from the government an explanation of its policy vis-a-vis Afghanistan war, which according to them, has pushed Pakistan into frontline without any benefits.

“The government should immediately inform the general public about the merits and demerits of the Afghan war,” industrialists of the Site Association of Industry observed at a press conference on Thursday.

Former chairman, Site Association, Siraj Teli, said that the government had been clamouring for more financial aids, write-off of loans and boosting exports, but it had not bothered about the problems of general public.

He said the government had not chalked out any action plan as to what will be the repercussion of the pre and post-Afghan war scenario. He added the industrialists should have been consulted before taking any benefits from the donor agencies.

Chairman, Site Association, Dr Arshad Vohra, said the US had only extended financial pledges and commitments verbally after September 11. “There is no practical backing from the US so far and nothing has actually come into the kitty,” he added.

Even, he added, the US is “reluctant of giving any extra quota for our textile exports”.

He said there was a need to make drastic re-adjustments in its economic and development strategy as the US-Afghan war had changed the economic scene in Pakistan and all over the world.

Vohra stressed on exploring new and non-traditional markets for exports. He said that at a time when trade and industry were struggling to come out from the September 11 impact, the SSGC had started issuing inflated gas bills. He mentioned that the heating quality of gas has gone down.

The meeting, which was attended by ex-chairmen Majyd Aziz and Zubair Motiwalla besides new managing committee, also discussed issues of war risk levy, US embargo on Pakistan’s shipments, cut in export refinance, revival of sick units, hurdles in industrialization and delay in refunds.