Traders urge government to widen anti-terrorism drive to Karachi

Small traders on Tuesday urged the government to widen the anti-terrorism drive across the country with a focus on Karachi to continuing stem violence and restore peace in the provincial metropolis. "We are very happy with the government's move to clampdown on terrorists indiscriminately and briskly to cleanse the country from decade-long destruction and killings," traders said.
Small traders welcome the government's rather conclusive move to end the terrorism menace from the country for good, said All Karachi Tajir Ittehad Chairman Atiq Mir. He, however, asked the government for a broader anti-terrorism campaign inclusive of the Karachi city on preference list to establish peace in the Sindh metropolis - serving the nation with over 60 percent annual revenues.
"The anti-militancy drive should also focus on Karachi with lightening raids on target-killers, extortionists and kidnappers to improve the city's peace and financial activities," he said. Condemning the Peshawar schoolchildren massacre, he said the government should not turn lenient to terrorists and their supporters. He, however, slammed the political parties and the government for being too pathetic to respond to terrorists in a befitting manner, saying poor policies brought about devastation and killings of innocent people in the country.
Showing worries on the city's poor law and order situation, he sought the army chief's support to restore peace in Karachi. He appealed "the army chief should widen the drive radius to Karachi where crimes thrive on the official support". The military anti-terrorism campaign should be driven in a way to quell the terrorism from Karachi with uprooting all its dens and support. "Traders will always support the anti-terrorism drive of the army," he said.
Calling upon the social groups and public, he said "it is the time to get united for the larger cause of the country's survival against the unfolding terrorism and intolerance". According to Atiq Mir, at least 100 traders have been killed this year and over 300 kidnapped by the outlaws. Feeling sorry for victim traders' families, he said "the police failed to arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice". He wanted the government should reform the judicial and police systems in the country to serve justice to all indiscriminately and protect the life and property of public.