RAWALPINDI: The minister of state for commerce, Khurram Dastagir Khan had to face an awkward situation on Tuesday when a businessman interrupted during his speech and asked him to focus on issues pertaining to his community.

The minister was speaking on government-Taliban talks until the participant reminded him that he was commerce minister and not interior.

The minister was invited by Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) to apprise him about the problems faced by the business community.

The minister, however, kept his cool and listened to him patiently but said peace was a prerequisite for economic development.

“Two major challenges that threaten our economy is shortage of energy and militancy. We cannot attract foreign investors until we provide them security and sufficient energy,” the minister argued.

The participant who happened to be former president of the Islamabad chamber told the minister: “You are Minister for Commerce but so far Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) is without head and many other government entities are still headless. You have to focus on addressing these issues.”