HYDERABAD, May 28: Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Khuhro has said that the government should rebuild trust of entrepreneurs to promote industrialisation in the province which has not seen establishment of any industrial unit for the last many years.

He called for undertaking measures on war footings basis for rapid industrialisation so that its effects could tickle down.

He was speaking at a meeting with Hyderabad-based businessmen and growers at the resident of a PPP supporter in Latifabad here on Wednesday.

Nisar Khuhro supported the idea of regular meetings of businessmen’s representatives with the chief minister of Sindh.

He said that the country was still reeling under the shocks of military regime led by Gen Ziaul Haq which introduced Kalashnikov culture that made lives of people, especially entrepreneurs, miserable so much that they shifted their capital from Sindh.

He appreciated the spirit of traders that they were still willing to invest in Sindh despite various constraints. He said the government was committed to redress their grievances.

He said the country’s imports had increased over last several years instead of its exports with the result that local products had disappeared from local markets.

“It shows that we have not moved ahead towards industrialisation. We need to pay attention to it,” he said.

He said that no new shares were floated in the stock market in absence of setting up of new industrial units while no attention had given to by-products of agriculture produce.

“People in Punjab discuss industrialisation in their social gatherings while our topics of discussion are quite different,” he said.

He said establishment of peace would encourage people to create their own resources. He said that opportunities were needed to be explored so that people establish their own industries in the province.

He said no one had the answer as to why previous government didn’t pay attention to it. “If Faisalabad can progress why not Hyderabad?” he asked. He observed that growers should be encouraged to take interest in industrialisation.

Former president of Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Amin Khatri informed the Sindh assembly speaker that expansion of Site was long overdue and nobody knows when 300 acres promised land would be distributed.

He said the land had become a bone of contention between the revenue department and Site.

He said in Punjab chief minister holds regular meetings with businessmen in presence of bureaucrats for solution of their problems and it had paid dividends.

Another former president of the HCCI Emad Siddiqui said that 300 acres of proposed land was just peanuts because after development of the area only 225 acres would be usable.

He said that at least 2000 acres of land was needed for the industrial activity in Site area.

He said that expansion of Site had not taken place since 1954.

Another businessmen’s representative Mr Masood Pervez said that post-Benazir Bhutto assassination’s violence had forced many industrialists to shift their units to Punjab.

He spoke about political transfers in police and said that his own Gujrati community people in Karachi were shifting their capital abroad because they feel insecure.

Zulfikar Yusufani said although government took positive steps but regular monitoring of its policies was needed for promoting peace.

He said that if the government didn’t show seriousness then there would be a flight of capital from the country. He said that government-traders coordination was missing.