KOHAT: All Pakistan Traders Association leader Ajmal Baloch has said that rampant corruption has weakened the national economy, which is impeding real development in the country.

Addressing a trader s` convention arranged here on Tuesday in the memory of late Malik Munir Bangash, he said that unless big thieves of public money were punished the menace of corruption could not be stopped. He advised the traders to refrain from hoardingand pronteering.

The function was attended by centralgeneral secretary Naeeem Munir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa businessmen association`s president Maha Elahi, Shakeel Ahmed and Ehsanullah Bacha besides traders`presidents of Peshawar, Kohat, Hangu, Mardan, Swat and other districts of the province. He also warned against harassment of traders on differentpretexts.

In his inaugural speech, Malik Mansoor complained about rent policy of the cantonment authorities and said that they would soon announce their strategy in thisregard.-Correspondent