KARACHI, Jan 16: The rising rate of crimes in the country has been discouraging entrepreneurs and adding to the miseries of the common man and there is a need to give top priority to the law and order situation.

Demanding the government to take immediate steps to create a peaceful atmosphere, the Threek-i-Istiqlal chief, Rehmat Khan Wardag, pointed out that over 4500 mills were inoperative in the country, which had added to the graph of unemployment.

Mr Wardag, highlighting the decisions taken by the recent party meeting, said the party had demanded a decrease in the prices of consumer items to provide some relief to the common man who had been overburdened due to imposition of various taxes and upward trend of utility service charges.

He said a comprehensive educational policy with emphasis on technical education was the need of the hour, as without a change in the present syllabus and the pattern of education, unemployment could not be checked.

Mr Wardag also condemned the raids conducted by the FBI in the country and demanded of the government to stop handing over arrested people to the US, and to try them under the laws of the land.