An eight-member Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi delegation on Tuesday called on LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar and apprised him about the deteriorating law and order situation in the business hub of the country. The LCCI Vice President Mian Abuzar Shad and Executive Committee Member Mian Zahid Javaid Ahmad were also present on the occasion and gave their input on the Karachi law and order situation.
The JI delegation, led by the JI Karachi Ameer Mohammad Hussain Mehnti, informed the LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar that target killings, extortion, abduction for ransom and bank robberies have become order of the day in Karachi. He said that the anti-social elements were particularly targeting businessmen when they refuse to comply with extortion demand.
He said that 2300 people including ulema, businessmen and students have fallen prey to targeted killings in Karachi in the last twelve months while 10 to 20 people are being killed daily.
The JI Karachi Ameer said that the business community in the country should come forward and play its role for revival of peace in the city of lights. He said that it was very unfortunate that the Sindh government had failed to establish its writ as killers and extortionists were roaming freely.
The LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar said that the business community understands that disturbances in Karachi has largely affected economic activities in the entire country and the LCCI would not hesitate to go to any extent for the return of normalcy in the port city.
He urged the Federal and Sindh governments to take serious notice of the law and order situation in Karachi and immediately initiate steps to arrest the surging crime rate. "Economic conditions will not improve unless law and order is not seriously tackled, especially in Karachi, and upcountry in general," said LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar.
"The LCCI believes that law and order is a major cause of decline in local and foreign investment and if the government fails to respond to private sector's call, the economy will continue to slide, resulting in closure of industry and trade. Karachi killings are a matter of grave concern for the business community" he added.
He urged to government to re-set its priorities as far as trade and industry was concerned - there is an acute shortage of electricity and gas, skilled manpower is in short supply, input costs are very high and Pakistan is fast attaining the status of a trading hub instead of a manufacturing country. If the law and order situation is under control and energy is made available to the industry around-the-clock, then it would encourage local investors and foreign investors would also be ready to initiate joint ventures with their Pakistani counterparts, creating more jobs for the unemployed youth, he added.