January 01, 2008	Tuesday	Zilhaj 21, 1428

PESHAWAR, Dec 31: The business community of Peshawar has expressed concerns over the law and order situation in the country, especially in the Frontier province, and demanded of the government to take immediate steps for improving the same, thereby enabling industrial and trade activities to flourish.

Senator Ilyas Ahmad Bilour, leader of the Businessman Forum Pakistan, Haji Mohammad Asif and Liaquat Ahmad Khan, the new and outgoing presidents of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) respectively, made the observations at the annual general meeting of the chamber here on Monday.

They said the recent wave of suicide bombings and the assassination of Benazir Bhutto had halted economic activities across the country. They demanded of the government to immediately take steps to restore the confidence of investors so that they could revive the business cycle.

Haji Mohammad Asif, the new SCCI president deplored the ransacking of the SCCI offices during the recent riots and said it had badly shattered the confidence of the businessmen.

He said business development needed peace, adding that in the prevailing circumstances, no one was ready to continue business in the country.

Senator Ilyas Bilour assured the new office-bearers of the chamber of his full support.