QUETTA, Dec 31: No signs of relief are visible in the coming new year for the business and trade community due to uncertainty which has griped the country after the assassination of PPP chairperson Ms Benazir Bhutto.

The year 2007 has left its bad impact on business and trade and industry as shadow of uncertainty may partly prevail in 2008.

The business leaders of Balochistan and traders, while expressing their views, said year 2007 remained not so good for business and trade in Balochistan. Many industries were closed due to smuggling and 75 per cent exports were reduced causing huge losses the people involved in import and export business.

The newly-elected President of Balochistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Quetta, Sardar Mohammad Anwar Jaffar, said law and order situation, bomb blasts, rocket attacks and suicide attacks badly affected business and trade in Balochistan in 2007. “I don’t see any sign of relief in the coming days for the business and trade in the country,” he told Dawn, adding after the assassination of Ms Bhutto, the situation may further worsen.

“In my opinion, the government should hold elections as soon as possible and hand over power to the elected government,” Sardar Jaffar suggested, adding it might help improve the situation.

He said that smuggling badly affected our industry in Balochistan while exports with Iran and other countries also decreased.

He said crash of stock exchange was also an indicative of future of business and trade in the country.

Kalifa Tahir, another business leader of the province, was of the view that the coming year would be harder for the business, trade and industry.

“I see no improvement in the economy and price-hike,” the former President of BBCI said, adding outgoing year already not remained good for industry and trade.

He said more strikes are ahead as political situation would worsen due to uncertainty that has badly affected economy.

Price-hike and unemployment may increase in the coming days.

“I am not optimistic about the flourishing of business and trade in the coming days,” Mansoor Bukhari, a leading publisher, told Dawn, adding one can predict the future of economy in view of the result of four days strike throughout the country, including Quetta.

Balochistan traders suffered huge losses during the four days of strike observed in Quetta and other parts of the province against the assassination of PPP chairperson, Ms Benazir Bhutto.

During the strike, people faced difficulties due to shortage of food items, including flour, vegetables, fruit, milk and other items. Patrol was not available even after strike as patrol supply stopped from Karachi due to strike and unsafe journey between Quetta and Karachi through national highways. Most of the food items also come from Karachi and many cities of Punjab and their supply was also affected that created a shortage of editable items.

“Situation would be improve in next two three days if supplies from Sindh and Punjab started,” Abdul Rahim Kakar, President Anjuman Tarjran, said.

He also predicted no betterment in the trade and business in the coming days, saying due to four days’ strike and assassination of Ms Benazir Bhutto, the stoke exchange crashed and value of Pakistani rupee decreased against dollar.

Most of the business people and traders were of the view that if government did not take steps to improve law and order, the economy would be further affected.