RAWALPINDI, Jan 31: Council of all Pakistan chambers presidents on Tuesday gave three months to the government to resolve the prevailing energy crisis and redefine tax reforms otherwise they would resort to civil disobedience.

The two days conference, the fourth of its kind, was organised by Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) concluded on Tuesday.

Talking to reporters the RCCI President Javed Akhtar Bhatti said that the energy crisis was so severe that business community had shifted industrial plants to Kenya Bangladeshhe said was an alarming situation for the national economy.

"Presidents of all chambers agreed that federal government is directly responsible for the energy shortage because it has not made any serious effort to resolve the issue, and consequently the domestic as well as industrial users are left with no option but to resort to such an extreme step," Mr Bhatti said.

The conference demanded the government to immediately start work on Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project and Thar Coal Project to overcome gas as well as electricity shortage.

The chambers' presidents demanded government to withdraw Form-D and SRO821 in order to facilitate business community. They also gave conditional approval to MFN status to India.

They demanded better facilities and security to local businessmen and asked the government to make sure that there would be no shortage of raw materials due to the MFN status to the neighbouring country.

Replying to a question, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Mian Abrar said the business community would vote a political party having sound economic plans regretting that national institutions in the country were looked after by corrupt and dishonest officers.

"After extensive discussions and deliberations we have agreed that traders and business community will resist the governments' policies. We ask the authorities to give us energy otherwise expect nothing from us," Irfan Qaiser Sheikh, President of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), said.

Participants of the conference demanded immediate removal of corrupt officials from their positions as according to them, the government was facing an annual deficit of Rs600 billion due to severe misconducts and corruption.

They also expressed grave concern over the mounting corruption in different national institutions and federations including PIA, Railways and NHA arguing that how could industrialists and traders survive in a country where government organisations were on the verge of collapse.