Chairman Businessmen and Former President Karachi Chamber Siraj Kassam Teli and President KCCI Shamim Ahmed Firpo have expressed deep concerns and worries over the sudden rise in incidents pertaining to law and order situation in Karachi where people are fearlessly being looted, banks are being robbed, policemen are being targeted, vehicles are being snatched or stolen, and tortured dead-bodies are found from different localities from time to time.
In a joint statement, Siraj Kassam Teli and Shamim Ahmed Firpo, while referring to Karachi Operation initiated in September 2013, stated that the Business and Industrial community was fairly convinced that around 70 percent of law and order situation has improved since commencement of Karachi operation but the sudden upsurge in law and order incidents nowadays poses a question mark on the achievements of Karachi Operation and the tall claims made in this regard.
Keeping in view the recent incidents, the Business and Industrial community of Karachi fears that all the achievements of Karachi Operation were at stake and if timely action is not taken, the situation may deteriorate further, once again plunging this city into the darkness of serious lawlessness and terrorism, they added.
“Although many tall claims were made soon after the Karachi Operation started to show signs of improvements and everyone wanted to take all the credit for these achievements but the current upsurge in law and order situation demands an explanation”, they said, urging the Chief Minister Sindh, Home Minister, DG Rangers, IG Sindh and Additional IG to come up with a clear explanation and publicize the reasons behind the current unusual rise in law and order incidents in Karachi.
They said that people are fearlessly being looted at gunpoint at some of the busiest streets of Karachi in broad day light, particularly during traffic jams, incidents of bank robberies have also risen sharply, policemen are being killed and dead-bodies are found from different localities which is a matter of grave concerns and it becomes more gravest when the culprits involved in street crimes, target killings and robberies easily flee from the crime scene without getting noticed.
At least 100 locations have been identified and marked as unsafe by law enforcement agencies including Tipu Sultan Road, Shaheed Millat Road, Habib Bank Chowrangi Site Flyover, Old Sabzi Mandi, Gulshan 13-D, Essa Nagri, areas adjacent to Gulshan Chowrangi/ Nipa and many other key localities where street crimes are frequently taking place almost every day but no measure has been taken to deal with criminals who carry out their activities in these areas, particularly during traffic jams. “We have been urging the traffic authorities to ensure smooth flow of traffic but unfortunately, no attention is being paid to deal with frequent traffic jams at almost all the streets where commuters are deprived of cash and valuables, they added.
Chairman BMG and President KCCI further pointed out that the incidents pertaining to stealing or snatching vehicles, cash and other valuables were also being reported from Bakra Mandi situated at the Super Highway which requires strict action as activities at Bakra Mandi, where thousands of people pour in each day, are in full swing due to forthcoming religious festival of Eid-ul-Azha.
Siraj Kassam Teli and Shamim Ahmed Firpo urged Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal, Director General Pakistan Rangers Sindh Maj. Gen. Muhammad Saeed, Inspector General Sindh AD Khawaja and Additional IG Karachi Ghulam Qadir Thebo to take notice of the situation and devise effective strategies to ensure 100 percent long lasting peace in every nook and corner of Karachi which is the financial, economical, industrial and commercial hub of Pakistan, contributing more than 65 percent revenue to the national exchequer.
They cautioned that any negligence and delays in strictly dealing with the recent rise in law and order incidents will have a severe impact on the already ailing economy of the entire country which struggles hard to stay afloat.
