Extortion, kidnap, threats to kill: police official seeks industrialists' cooperation

DIG East, Shahid Hayat has advised industrialists to provide details of threats they receive for extortion of money and kidnapping for ransom which will help police to apprehend the culprits. In a meeting at Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (Kati) on Saturday.
He said the department was giving top priority to control law and order in industrial and commercial areas of the city as it provided livelihood not only to the city but to the entire country. He advised business community not to lose hearts or close down their business as there would be definite an improvement in law and order, and peace would be fully restored soon.
He said the police vigilance in Koragi Industrial Area (KIA) was being reinforced so that industrial peace was fully maintained and trade and industrial activities would remain continued without any threat. Shahid Hayat directed the area police officers to increase vigilance at Korangi Causeway and reinforce police pickets and strengthen police force in tannery zone and surrounding areas.
He also directed concern police officials to restore nine police mobile for Madadgar 15 deputed earlier for KIA. He said that out of nine vehicles seven had been deployed while rest of the two vehicles would be sent back to KIA within one week. Shahid Hayat agreed with the Kati members that police should not sustain political pressure in curbing crimes and criminals should be taken to task at any cost. He informed that an exclusive email account was being established for those who were being targeted by extortionists in order to lodge complaints. He further assured to remove encroachments from KIA.
Kati Chairman Ehteshamuddin reiterated his demand to establish police check posts on all 12 entry and exit points of KIA. He said if the law and order in industrial areas would be maintained adequately the wheel of industry would be moving peacefully. He, welcoming the reinforcement of Madadgar 15 in KIA, said that some of the police officers particularly DSP KIA Qasim Ghauri were doing good job in the area.
All Karachi Industrial Alliance President Mian Zahid Hussain said, "Karachi is passing through a difficult phase due to deteriorating law and order situation which coupled with other factors like energy crisis has immensely affected the industry which is the largest employer of manpower in Pakistan." He said that though local police was making efforts for curbing crimes in KIA, however incidences of street crimes, car and mobile phones snatching, robberies and extortion were still haunting the industrialists.
He hoped that DIG East Shahid Hayat would make all out efforts to maintain law and order in KIA, and said that to eliminate the extortion and threats to the businessmen the government should provide mobile phone locators to the police at the earliest.
He said that Home Minister Rehman Malik had assured and later on the government had given approval for the purchase of mobile phone locators but they were yet to be procured. He said Korangi being the largest contributor to the national exchequer needed immediate attention from the government.