Promulgation of Section 144 on business community a highly condemnable step: Moonis Elahi

Lahore (April 27, 2010) The promulgation of section 144 in Punjab to forcibly prevent shops and businesses from operating after 8 in the evening is another extremely unpopular and regressive step taken by N League’s Punjab government. Punjab’s peace loving shopkeepers and traders are being treated as terrorists in N League’s rule. The Chief Minister has flown off to London to avoid public flaying over his government’s anti-people policies and decisions. These views were expressed by Moonis Elahi today during a meeting with representatives of Punjab’s business community at his residence in Lahore.

In the meeting Moonis Elahi strongly criticized the enforcement of section 144 on Punjab’s business community and warned the N League government of the consequences of its anti-trade decisions. He assured Pakistan Muslim League’s unflinching support to the suffering shopkeepers and traders of the province and resolved to leave no stone unturned for the protection of their rights and interests.

Moonis Elahi blamed N League as the sole architect of the ongoing power crisis in Punjab. He also blamed N League for the current financial debacle of Punjab and alleged that after emptying the provincial coffers through mismanagement and misappropriation N League was now working to destroy the province’s private enterprises by enforcing on them a section of the law which was otherwise only meant to control terrorists and rioters.

Moonis Elahi declared that N League’s antagonistic policies and anti-trade decisions had opened the business community’s eyes and the business community now fully understood the selfish motives of N League’s leadership. He strongly criticized the harassment being spread in the business community by unknown individuals going around in market places threatening the traders of dire consequences on loud speakers in case of non compliance with the order of closing shops by 8 pm.

“Nura” League surpasses allies in anti-people policies: Moonis Elahi

Lahore (April 24, 2010) As if the earlier titles in the N series were not enough that N League by endorsing the anti-business decisions of two weekly holidays and daily closure of shops by 8 pm now also clearly qualifies to be categorized as “Nura” League. Acting as a benign opposition at the centre and playing bed mates in Punjab with PPP, N League has surpassed its allies in backstabbing the very people who entrusted confidence in them in the 2008 election. After the commercial plazas target killing spree the two-holidays per week “Chuttee Bomb” if applied will destroy of what is left of business in Punjab. These views were expressed today in Lahore by Moonis Elahi, central leader of Pakistan Muslim League while talking to a delegation of Pakistan Muslim League Traders Wing.

Moonis Elahi reiterated his party’s unflinching commitment to the cause of the business community and strongly condemned the decisions of two-holidays per week and closure of businesses by 8 in the evening. He said that 18 hours daily load shedding in Punjab could have been reduced to 4 hours daily like in other provinces had the N League government sincerely advocated Punjab’s case. Not just during the power crisis but in all other crises, N League without a moment’s hesitation has been compromising Punjab’s interests for self gains, alleged Moonis Elahi. He blamed N League and its allies for jointly playing havoc with the country’s economy and bringing it to the verge of collapse.

He said that Punjab’s default now stood at a staggering amount of Rupees 73 billion and if the recent anti-trade decisions were not withdrawn immediately the rates of poverty, unemployment, suicides and crimes which had already touched alarming heights were bound to shoot further up in the province. Moonis Elahi warned the rulers of a public lash back worse than Kyrgystan if anti- business decisions and IMF dictates emphasizing further taxes on the already impoverished people of Punjab were allowed to be carried out.

Moonis Elahi strongly condemned the Punjab government’s threat of cutting power supply to traders who did not comply with the 8 pm draconian decree and said that N League now stood fully exposed to the people of Punjab including the business community.