(June 10, 2020)
FPCCI’s Businessmen Panel SVP, President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum and All Karachi Industrial Alliance, and former provincial minister Mian Zahid Hussain on Wednesday said Prime Minister Imran Khan is exposing different mafias as per his promise which is good for the country.
OGRA and Ministry of Petroleum should take action against those who are supporting influential oil mafia which has foiled the government’s attempt to provide relief to masses by reducing oil prices and created shortage adding to the problems of consumers, he said.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that an action should be initiated against petrol pump owners who are selling petrol at double the price milking people.
Talking to the business community, the veteran business leader said that some of the officials in OGRA and petroleum ministry get salaries and perks from the government but work for the interests of oil mafia which has drained the economy.
The former minister noted black sheep, hand in glove with the mafia are strangulating PSO systematically so that they can easily usurp the rights of consumers.
The same mafia is behind damaging gas sector, LNG project and CNG sector in which Rs450 billion investment and thousands of jobs are at stake, he noted.
He said that the government has delayed the decision to import wheat but it is still a good move which will discourage hoarders and stabilize the rising prices.
The government should import 1.2 million tonnes of wheat to ensure food security and dishearten profiteers and provide relief to people.
Bureaucracy should understand that it is the right time for wheat import as prices will start to increase in the international market as soon as the weather becomes better.
Influential oil and the wheat mafia is more dangerous for the masses than the coronavirus, he said, adding that whole world is battling coronavirus but people in Pakistan are also facing an onslaught of the merciless mafia coupled with uncoordinated and futile efforts on the part of policymakers.
