F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: Factory owners have announced to launch an agitation campaign along with employees and workers if the provincial government didn’t meet their demands and stop illegal actions till 28 September next.
Malik Imran Ishaq who is president of Industrialist Association Hayatabad Peshawar during a press conference here on Wednesday expressed resentment over the government apathy toward resolution of issues, essentially unwarranted and illegal crackdown by the government relevant institutions, harassment of employees and workers, imposition to double taxation in Peshawar industrial estate.
He asked the provincial government to avoid taking such steps to intact the dignity of the taxpayers as they are playing pivotal economic development through paying different taxes.
Industrialists are not against the laws, but they are concerned over procedures of implementing those rules, says IAP chief. He added the stern policies and unlawful actions have made difficulties for manufacturers to run their factories smoothly.
Flanked by the IAP vice president Mohiyauddin, office bearers from Peshawar, Gadoon, Hattar and Nowshera Industrial Estates, IAP president Malik Imran said that the businessmen are ready to support the government to ensure enforcement of policies and laws.
However, he asked atleast the provincial government to pay heed toward problems of industrialists, which have adversely suffered by terrorism and now novel coronavirus pandemic.
The IAP chief expressed regret that despite writing a number of letters to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the CM was not given time for meeting with the business community to silence their grievances.
Former FPCCI president Ghazanfar Bilour, Chairman IAP Standing Committee on Legal Affairs, Riaz Arshad, Chairman IAP Standing Committee on Finance Haris Mufti, Chairman IAP Standing Committee on Media, Ahmad Mustafa, former president IAP Zarak Khan, member IAP and ex-president SCCI Zahidullah Shinwari, executive members Sajjad Zaheer, Shahyan Imtiaz, members Saad Khan Zahid, Rashid Mehmood, Mumtaz Ali Khan, Secretary General IAP, Muqtasid Ahsan, Secretary Wasiullah Khan present during the presser.
Malik Imran strongly opposed the illegal and unwarranted crackdown on factories by different government departments, harassing and arrest of employees and workers, and collection of property tax from industrial estates. He warned the industrialists would compel on protest if the practice couldn’t stop forthwith.
The IAP chief termed the making of the industrialists as withholding agents by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority (KPRA) as completely unjust and unacceptable to them.
He also expressed grave concern over harassment, arrest of employees and workers during crackdown carried by Environment Protection Agency (EPA) over alleged floating environmental rules, as a result of that the industries will be closed down which would trigger massive unemployment.
In the prevailing circumstances, Malik Imran said that factory owners, employees and workers will not be left with any other option but to go on protest. He asked the government to take a pragmatic step to mitigating the suffering of industrialists rather than making difficulties by implementation of anti-business policies and actions.
Imran Ishaq called for uninterrupted power and gas supply to industries, which according to him, was a constitutional right of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the article 158-A of the constitution of the country.
While replying to different queries of the reporters, he informed that a total of 500 industrial units have been established in Peshawar industrial estate, of which 250 were fully functional and rest production has been minimized by 50 percent.
