FAISALABAD, June 7: Economic prosperity will remain elusive without investing in human resource and giving due rights and facilities to the people of Pakistan. Addressing a pre-budget seminar organized by National Businessmen Forum (NBF) here Monday, former president Sardar Farooq Ahmad Leghari said that our system had inherited faults and serious efforts were being made to correct it.

According to him, poverty and injustice were the root cause of terrorism. He said that President Musharraf would announce a relief package for farmers on June 10.Hammad Masood, President of the Tax Bar Association, said that unemployment and poverty had increased despite 'positive' macro-economic indicators.

He suggested cut in income tax and sales tax rates to generate economic activity in Pakistan. Nasir Khursheed Advocate demanded tax holiday to attract direct foreign investment like China in addition to promoting tax culture.

Dr. Zakir Hussain, Dean, Agri Economics, University of Agriculture, termed low investment in agriculture a dilemma of Pakistan. He recommended decrease in the price of agriculture inputs to encourage value addition in this sector. -APP