August 20, 2007	Monday	Sha’aban 6, 1428

PESHAWAR, Aug 19: The business community has condemned the kidnapping of Dr Saeed Ahmed, a noted entrepreneur, and asked the government to ensure his safe and early recovery.

Dr Ahmed was kidnapped from the Hayatabad Industrial Estate on Sunday.

In a statement, Senator Ilyas Bilour, leader of Progressive Businessmen Forum, criticised the kidnapping of Dr Ahmed, director of the MKB Group of Industries, at 2pm on Sunday, and termed it “the failure of the provincial government which has left its citizens to the mercy of robbers and kidnappers.”

He said lawlessness had forced industrialists to move their businesses to other safer places in the country.

He said kidnapping had become an industry in the province, which was a bad omen for a poor and backward province like the NWFP.

He said they had time and again drawn the attention of the government towards the growing lawlessness in the industrial estate, but the government had taken no step on the alarming issue.

“It seems there is no government in the province and criminals are running their parallel system across the province. The police, who are supposed to protect the life and property of the people, have become alien to the people,” Mr Bilour said.

He asked the government to take stern action against the kidnappers and ensure early recovery of Dr Ahmed.

In a separate statement, office-bearers of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry condemned the kidnapping of Dr Ahmed, and asked the provincial government to ensure his safe and early recovery.

SCCI President Liaquat Ahmed Khan, senior vice-president Haji Mohammad Israr, vice-president Haji Manzoor Ahmed Bacha and members of the chamber’s executive committee took strong notice of the abduction and termed it the complete failure of the NWFP government.

They said the kidnapping-for-ransom had become a thriving business in the province and the government had accepted these incidents as a routine matter.

They said they had asked the government to enhance police patrolling and set up police checkpoints in the area, but it paid no heed to their suggestions.

They asked the government to constitute special police teams for the early recovery of Dr Ahmed. Otherwise, they threatened, they would launch a protest movement against the government.