March 06, 2008	Thursday	Safar 27, 1429

KARACHI, March 5: The business community has supported a stable political set-up in Sindh for the development of trade and industry and said that a coalition government of the Pakistan People’s Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement could ensure peace, prosperity and stability in the province.

“We have sought time from the PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and we want that the PPP-MQM should form a coalition government in Sindh,” chairman Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (Kati), Shaikh Fazl-e-Jalil said.

“The business community now wants peace and harmony. There would be no clash between the political parties, if a coalition government is formed in Sindh,” he said.

“We have also proposed to the MQM high-ups to join hands with the PPP for the future government,” the Kati chief said, adding that the massive urban mandate received by the MQM in the general election deserves respect.

Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Shamim Ahmed Shamsi said that the chamber has neither met the MQM nor the PPP top officials after the elections.

However, he said, that majority of the business community expects the PPP-MQM government in Sindh. “Time has come that every political party should work jointly to pull the country out of political and economic crisis,” he said.

There should be a united stand of all the parties (even if sitting in the opposition) for improving the country’s ailing economic health, he said.

FB Area Association of Trade and Industry Chairman Idris Gigi said “The entire business community wants PPP to take the MQM along in forming a government in the province.” He said the business community had maintained a good rapport with the MQM during the last five years for the development of infrastructure in Karachi and in resolving other issues so they want them back in the power.

North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry chairman Noor Ahmed said the MQM and PPP should form a government in Sindh and the majority of the businessmen hope to see these parties working together.

The way the development work in industrial areas had been undertaken in the last few years had never been witnessed in the Karachi’s history, he said adding that both parties could further augment this development drive. He, however, added that in case the coalition of these two parties was not formed, then the PPP would have to undertake the development work alone.

Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association chairman Anis Majeed while supporting the MQM-PPP coalition said that this set-up would help to complete the new and pending development work in Karachi and Hyderabad. In case the MQM decides to sit in opposition, the development work would slow down, he thought.

Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry vice-president Zubair Tufail said that the new government would face a gigantic task in handling various issues like rising joblessness, law and order situation, and power crisis etc. The most pressing issue to be dealt by the PPP with is how to control the rising prices of essential items, which have resulted in increasing the cost of living.

Site Association of Industry chairman Nisar Sheikhani said he did not want to make any comment about PPP-MQM coalition in Sindh but said that the need of the hour is that every party should work jointly so that political and economic stability could prevail.

The MQM had sought opinion from the leading businessmen in a meeting held after election at a local hotel. The businessmen reported to have advised the MQM to consider joining hand with the PPP so that the development work in Karachi could continue with the same pace.

Many businessmen also met the PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari recently to seek his views about the future set-up in Sindh. Businessmen, who asked not to be named, said that they received a hint from Mr Zardari’s tone that he personally wanted to include the MQM in the future government, for which talks had been going on, despite the fact that the party did not need the MQM support for forming a government in the province.

The business leaders said that Mr Zardari assured full support to the business community and said that he would also respect the heavy mandate of the MQM.