Faisalabad Chamber Chief Urges End to Sindh Highway Closures

Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) President Rehan Naseem Bharara has stated that the ongoing closure of major highways in Sindh over canal disputes lacks justification, particularly following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s announcement of a Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting scheduled for May 2.

Bharara emphasized that in a democracy, conflicts should be addressed through dialogue. He lauded the Prime Minister’s initiative to convene the CCI meeting to resolve the canal issue through democratic means.

He noted that the initial demand of the protestors was to settle the matter legally and constitutionally via the CCI. With the government’s decision to hold such a meeting, the continued road blockades are unwarranted. These closures are significantly disrupting both export and import activities, resulting in economic losses for the nation.

Bharara stressed the critical role of exports in revitalizing the national economy, terming the obstruction of this process as imprudent and ultimately self-defeating for the protestors.

He suggested that the protestors might be driven by ulterior motives. He urged the Sindh government to take swift action to resolve the situation, warning that failure to do so would impede export growth and negatively impact economic recovery efforts.

Bharara highlighted that numerous export containers are stranded due to the road closures, resulting in trade losses amounting to two billion dollars thus far. He cautioned that further delays in reopening the highways would exacerbate the nation’s economic challenges.