KARACHI, Aug 15: The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and its ruling Businessmen Group (BG), led by Siraj Kassam Teli, and the leader of the ruling group of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Tariq Sayeed, have sought resignation from the President Pervez Musharraf.

The KCCI has written a letter to the president to resign from the top post so that the country could come out from the lingering political and economic crisis.

Siraj Teli told Dawn on Friday that the president had definitely done some splendid work for the country’s economic stability but now the situation had changed.

He said that presently the political weakness had gripped the country thus crippling the economic activities. “We have sought the president’s resignation in the larger interest of the country and to avert any further political and economic turmoil,” he said.

Leader of the ruling group and former FPCCI president Tariq Sayeed said he had also sent a letter to the president on Friday seeking his resignation.

In the letter he said that being a ruling leader of FPCCI with 95 per cent support from the business community, he feels that the current economic scenario is in shambles and under these circumstances he would request you (Mr Musharraf) to kindly step down from the presidentship.

“I hope you understand that impeachment is not a trial. It is the collective opinion of the legislators of the country in which all the provincial assemblies have given their verdict against you to resign.

Mr. Sayeed said the current situation was sending very wrong signals to the world that the democratically elected government and the President House cannot work together.

“You (Mr. Musharraf) have played your innings and the businessmen strongly feel that the your stepping down will bring about political stability, which is very much required now,” he said in the letter.

“It will also send the message to the world that the president bows to the public opinion and I would like to quote your own word ‘Pakistan first’,” the former FPCCI president said.

He said his views were shared by other businessmen and industrialists and the entire business leadership has the same view. It is first time in the last nine years that the business leaders are unanimous on this point of view.

It may be recalled here that on August 11, the KCCI and the Businessmen Group (BG) comprising Tahir Khaliq, Zubair Motiwala, Haroon Farooki and Anjum Nisar along with KCCI’s office bearers Shamim Shamsi, President, Iftikhar Ahmad Shaikh, SVP and Haroon Agar VP had re-endorsed their policy of neutrality in national politics, and said, “We always follow strictly the mandate given to us by our members and in compliance with defined parameters in memorandum of articles of association of KCCI.

At that time, Siraj had said we (the business and industrial community) are non-political entity collectively and are not affiliated with any political party as our job is to represent business community on economic issues with the government.

He said “We at Karachi chamber represents over 80 per cent of the business community for the last 10 years and do understand individual affiliations of some businessmen and their political activities accordingly. This does not represent our view point nor of business community collectively.”

When asked that the sudden change in the attitude of the business community over president’s future was due to some kind of pressure from the PPP government’s higher ups, Siraj Teli said, “There is virtually no pressure on us. We were and are still a neutral body and are doing this for the sake of economic stability,” he added.

Teli said that other chambers of the upcountry have also written the same letters to the president. He claimed that Site Association of Industry (SAI) is with the KCCI while he cannot say about the FPCCI, Korangi Association of Trade and Industry, Landhi Association of Trade and Industry, North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry and FB Area Association of Trade and Industry.

Chairman Korangi Association of Trade and Industry Shaikh Fazl-e-Jalil said that President Musharraf should resign immediately as it will pave the way for political and economic harmony in the country.”

“This is not the businessmen’s voice but the voice of the entire nation that is why Kati fully supports the exit of the president.”

Chairman F.B. Area Association of Trade and Industry Idris Gigi said his association was not in favour to seek ouster of the president at a time when the country is passing through a delicate phase like deteriorating law and order situation, falling confidence among investors, and flight of capital.

“I am shocked to learn that KCCI has sought Musharraf’s resignation,” he said adding that the Businessmen Group led by Siraj Teli might have done this on some kind of a political pressure.