BAHAWALPUR, Nov 30: The Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), Bahawalpur circle, have demanded that strict measures should be taken to stop highway robberies.

Addressing a joint press conference, BCCI president Tahir Jamil and PCGA president Maqbul Rajput said they had told the district Nazim and police high-ups time and again to take preventive measures, but to no avail.

They said in these circumstances it would be difficult for the business community to continue their activities.

Mr Jamil and Mr Rajput had recently fallen prey to highway robbers.

Meanwhile, the PCGA at a meeting protested against APTMA for stopping the purchase of lint from ginneries due to which ginners and growers were suffering financial losses.

Through a resolution, the PCGA demanded that the government should force the APTMA to purchase lint otherwise they would be forced to close down their factories.

The meeting also demanded that the TCP should increase the rate of lint to Rs2,055 from Rs1,855.