Small traders on Thursday showed deep concerns over a sharp rise in bomb attacks at shopping centres, saying the government's pathetic policies helped grow violence in the city since 2008. The two recent bomb attacks one at a shop at Tibet Centre M A Jinnah Road and the other at a tea shop in Landhi, which left at least two people dead, have increased panic amongst the traders.
They said the police have largely remained clueless since the PPP-led coalition government formed in 2008, after which a rapid increase in violence particularly against the political workers of opposition parties and traders witnessed. "Grenade attack at a shop at Tibet Centre shop and then tea shop blast in Landhi reflect a clear negation to the government's claims of a better law and order situation," said President All Pakistan Organisation of Small Traders and Cottage Industries, Mehmood Hamid.
He said the government's claims have been contrary to its actions against the outlaws in the city. "Nothing positive will happen with installing CCTV cameras on roads, rather a clean-up operation is needed against the extortionists and target killers," he maintained. He also slammed the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry for not taking up the law and order situation with the government to protect the small traders and their businesses in the city. Increase in police patrolling will not help overcome lawlessness problems at all, he said.
Mehmood urged the government to begin a clean-up operation against the criminals in the city. "We set a three-day ultimatum to the government to ensure unbreakable measures to protect life and property of traders from terrorist attacks in the city," asked chairman All Karachi Tajir Ittehad, Atiq Mir.
He said traders have stopped coming to their businesses after the extortionists spread threats to them. "Traders are largely now confined to the homes for fears of threats against their lives," he maintained. He warned the government of staging a protest demonstration at Chief Minister House, besides going on a city-wide shutter-down strike to protest the killings of traders and lawlessness in the metropolis.
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