Business

Karachi Chamber calls for strike on April 5

KCCI shuts down crisis management cell.

Farhan Zaheer April 01, 2011

KARACHI:

For the first time in 10 years, the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has given a strike call for April 5 to protest against growing incidents of extortion and kidnapping for ransom of businessmen in the city.

Endorsing the strike call, KCCI President Saeed Shafiq said that the step has been taken under severe pressure from members of KCCI.

“Every day we meet a delegation of traders and shopkeepers with serious complaints. We cannot resist the pressure anymore and we have given the strike call against the deplorable security conditions in the financial capital of the country,” he said.

Meanwhile on Thursday, thousands of traders and shopkeepers staged a protest on MA Jinnah Road, the business hub of the city, against the killing of a shopkeeper, reportedly by extortionists.

A few weeks ago, KCCI had set up a crisis management cell to monitor cases of extortion and kidnapping related to the business community. Federal Minister for Interior Rehman Malik inaugurated the cell and claimed that the problems of business community will soon be resolved as the government was taking action against the miscreants.

“We shut down the crisis management cell on Thursday because it was ineffective in controlling crimes against the business community,” Shafiq informed, adding that the action has been taken to protest the indifference on the part of government.

“We had no option but to surrender to the will of the business community. KCCI is the biggest platform of the business community and if we do not resolve their problems, they will throw us out of this prestigious position,” he said.

Police and other law enforcement agencies of the city are incapable of controlling crimes against citizens and that is why KCCI has demanded that the government should hand over the city to the army, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 1^st, 2011.

COMMENTS (2)

Asim | 13 years ago | Reply @A.ghaffar dawood: I agree with you. A peaceful demonstration by people from all parts of our community need to participate in such a demonstration. They can be bankers, industrialists, employees of private or Government organisations, workers, drivers, basically everyone. Only if we unite will our voices be heard and this needs to happen in all the cities. Question basically remains who can unite us all without any political association with any organisation. A demonstration for the people and not any province, or political organisation or a particular sect of our community. I know I am dreaming but maybe one day we can unite under a single banner.

A.ghaffar dawood | 13 years ago | Reply This state is going towards anarchy.especially the city of Karachi.There is no law either in institutions or on the road.It is free for all.I cannot understand why does the city govt pay to the police the salary they don't deserve.in no sphere of life in our city is safe.The government is only filling the blanks and nothing else. However the strike is not going to do anything.we should get out of culture of strikes.We should hold huge peaceful demonstrations in front of the Sind assembly.The procession should so huge and truly represntatives that the assembly embers are ashamed of their apathy.

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