LARKANA, June 17: The Export Promotion Bureau has decided to close its Larkana office and its staff has been informed about the decision.

This was said by the president of the Larkana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Anwer Shaikh, and a member of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Mumtaz Shaikh, while talking to Dawn here on Monday.

They said that recently in a meeting with the EPB chairman, they were assured that the Larkana EBP office would not be closed.

Surprized by the decision, Shaikh said that it was a matter of concern that the EPB chairman had deviated from his commitment.

He said that the decision was one of the many steps being taken to victimize Sindh and added that it would discourage the local business community and diminish trade activities in the area.

The Larkana EBP office, established in 1993, performed well till the government transferred its deputy director, Bashir Ahmed Shaikh, to the Karachi office in May 2001. After his transfer the deputy director of EPB, Hyderabad, has been looking after this office.

The officials at the EBP office have been asked to close the office before July 1, sources said, adding that the staff was to be transferred and merged in the Sukkur office of the EPB.