KARACHI, Aug 9: The PPP government’s preference for retired bureaucrats for cushy jobs and its indecisive approach on vital business issues such as subsidy support on textile export has caused immense heart burning among the business leadership.

This was amply manifested on Saturday when the apex trade body, the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry invited a dismissed chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue Abdullah Yousuf for a farewell reception to acknowledge his services.

Mr. Yousuf was sacked unceremoniously recently when he was in Geneva and was on his way to attend other international conference. He was on a three years contract with the government as FBR chairman, which expired in March.

“I had asked for a quit on expiry of my contract but was advised by the government to continue,” the FBR chairman told a full house of the FPCCI at the conference hall. He was obviously bitter on his abrupt and disgraceful removal from the job, but he did not complain in his speech.

A large number of businessmen had turned up to attend a farewell reception in honour of a dismissed government employee. One after the other, business leaders, including FPCCI president Tanveer Sheikh spoke of the services of Mr. Yousuf as the chief tax collector of the country.

Mr. Ikhtiar Baig, a pro-PPP businessman, also acknowledged the services of Mr Yousuf.

Businessmen say that it is not for the first time that FPCCI honoured a “dismissed” personality. Way back in 1990, the FPCCI, then headed by Mian Habibullah, invited ex-prime minister Ms Benazir Bhutto after her government was dismissed by then president late Ghulam Ishaq Khan.

Businessmen say that present FPCCI chief Tanveer Sheikh also aspired for the coveted post of chairman of Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP). But the present PPP government is digging out all “retired bureaucrats” from their swanky mansions and plush bungalows for cushy jobs.

Syed Mohibullah Shah, a retired bureaucrat, was the preferred choice for the TDAP head like other retired bureaucrats. Shahid Aziz Siddiqui has been appointed chairman State Life Insurance Corporation. Salman Farouqi, a retired bureaucrat of provincial service, is now the new ‘Czar’ of the Planning Commission. He was chief operator of Nawaz Sharif’s infamous ‘Yellow Cab’ scheme and Asif Zardari’s environmental policy, under which the nationalised banks were forced to “invest” heavily on beautification of cities from depositors’ fund.