ISLAMABAD: The business community of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Tuesday criticised the deployment of Tiger Force to control prices in various markets and said the government was politicising a technical issue to hide its failures.

The business community at a meeting held at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) with Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan, the ICCI president, in the chair called upon the government to withdraw the order to save traders from unnecessary problems.

The participants said Tiger Force was a political force and not authorised to act on behalf of magistrates and official market committees.

The meeting unanimously rejected the decision of the government regarding price monitoring by members of Tiger Force, and said the move would create more problems, including blackmailing tactics against traders.

Say political force cannot be authorised to act on behalf of magistrates and official market committees

The meeting was attended among others by senior office-bearers of Markazi Anjuman-i-Tajiran Rawalpindi led by its President Malik Shahid Ghafoor Paracha, Sheikh Abdul Hafeez, President Anjuman-i-Tijiran Rawalpindi Cantonment and Taj Abbasi, President All-Pakistan Furniture Association.

Representatives of various market associations of Rawalpindi were also in the delegation.

Addressing the meeting, Sardar Ilyas Khan, said before taking such measures, the government should first take stakeholders on board as one-sided decisions have always damaged economic activities.

He said some shops were being sealed under the pretext of price control drive which was not a wise approach and if there was any issue things should be sorted out through dialogue.

“We all suffered serious losses in the wake of the Covid-19 lockdown. The government should first provide relief to the business community by allowing us to pay taxes in installments,” he added.

Mian Akram Farid, Chairman Founder Group, expressed reservations over using Tiger Force for price control and urged the government to withdraw it.

He said the government should focus on reducing tax rates and broadening of tax base to improve the revenue.

“One of the main factors for rising inflation is devaluation of the rupee and the government should address such issues,” he said.

Ajmal Baloch, President All-Pakistan Anjuman-i-Tajiran said, the government has to take the business community into confidence.

“We even say meetings between officials and the business community should be held in the form of a public meeting or ‘khuli kutheri’ so that the general public and media can understand the root-cause of the rising prices,” Mr Baloch said.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2020