RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: President of Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF) Mian Zahid Hussain has said that that 6th September is the day when business community pays tributes to all martyrs and handicaps of armed forces and civilians and commits to make Pakistan an economically strong Islamic country using its full potential.

On the Defence Day of the country, he said, Pakistan has given significant sacrifices in the US-imposed war on terror. In the last seventeen years, Pakistan has sacrificed 6 thousand military personnel and more than fifty thousand civilians. According to international reports, 100,000 families comprising of over one million people have been displaced as a result of this war. He said that financially Pakistan has faced losses amounting $130 billion; however, due to measures taken by Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Jawed Bajwa, these losses have been decreased significantly by 62 percent. “Pakistan is listed number 2 after Afghanistan, in the list of the countries most affected by war against terrorism and has rendered unmatched sacrifices for peace in the world, particularly in the region,” Mian Zahid said, adding that armed forces have successfully curbed the internal and external threats through several operations, including Al-Meezan, Rah-e-Haq, Sher Dil, Zalzala, Sirat-e-Mustaqeem, Rah-e-Raast, Rah-e-Nijat, Koh-e-Safaid, Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasad.

He said that the entire Pakistani nation laud the matchless sacrifices of the armed forces due to which Pakistan is growing and prospering in many aspects, including foreign investment, tourism, trade and industrial activities.

“Pakistan’s armed forces have been contributing in the UN peace keeping missions with 200,000 personnel in 45 different missions,” he said, adding that currently around 7 thousand personnel from Pakistan are participating in the ongoing UN peace keeping missions. PBIF president said theses officers and soldiers are actively serving for the cause of humanity in the areas affected by wars, national and other disasters and different regions of the World.

Meanwhile, a meeting of North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry (NKATI) was held at its office where traders and industrialist paid tributes to martyrs on the anniversary of the 1965 war with India.