Political uncertainty worries business community no end

The lack of clarity following the Feb 8 general elections has businessmen shaking in their boots, with many expressing the fear that they would not be able to sustain more political instability and economic turbulence, while the incoming government may find it hard to restore some semblance of order, in the shadow of IMF conditions. “I do not think that any of the parties contending for power appreciate the extent of pain that will need to be taken when implementing the critical reforms that governments should have undertaken at least a decade back,” Pakistan Business Council (PBC) CEO Ehsan Malik told Dawn on Monday. These reforms are now non-negotiable under a 24th IMF programme, which is inevitable, and any further handouts are unlikely to materialize, he said.