Business leaders were upset about a sudden day off. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said it was for Youm-e-Takbir. They said it hurt businesses and the economy.
They talked about their worries online. They said businesses were finishing important deals. The day off was a surprise. They thought only schools should have had the day off. Banks and offices should have stayed open.
Khurram Schehzad, CEO of Alpha Beta Core, shared his thoughts. He said extra days off hurt the economy. One day off could cost $1.1 billion. This is a big loss for the economy. Such days off delay important meetings and deals.
Schehzad warned of more harm. He said our economy already suffers. He urged a focus on productivity. And said we need to compete globally.
Muhammad Najib Balagamwala, Chairman of Seatrade Group, spoke out. He said extra holidays harm the economy. Politicians and bureaucrats are not productive. They waste time. This, he said, is shameful.
Nabi Bux Sathio of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture agreed. He called the holiday pointless. He said officials avoid work. This hurts taxpayers. It disrupts hospitals and courts. Many sectors feel the impact.
Sathio offered a solution. He said the prime minister should stop power outages. Hot weather makes these outages worse. People suffer, especially in Sindh.
Ismail Suttar of Lasbela Chamber of Commerce also commented. He said Pakistanis respect Youm-e-Takbir. But we cannot afford extra holidays now. The economy cannot stop. The private sector works hard. Policymakers do not understand the crisis.
Suttar warned of default. Exports are falling. Dollar inflow is slow. Extra holidays make things worse. The economy cannot bear it.
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