Bad security on National Highway halts industrial activity
Industrialists are considering relocating to other areas because of the security situation around the National Highway.
Security situation around the National Highway is deteriorating so fast that industrialists are considering relocating to other areas while foreign investors are fleeing, industry representatives said on Thursday.
“Car snatching and robberies are now a daily routine on the National Highway,” said Acting Vice-Chairman of the Bin Qasim Association of Trade and Industry (BQATI) Usman Ahmed while adressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club (KPC).
He expressed serious concern over the deteriorating law and order and police inaction to secure the National Highway.
Almost everyday, there are at least five or six incidents of robberies reported on the highway which involve gangs of three of four criminals riding on motorcycles, he said. These incidents are common in the Landhi industrial area, Memon Goth and other areas near the highway, he said. On top of this, industrialists are forced to pay extortion money (bhata) to these gangsters, the industrialists said.
“Miscreants have also robbed foreign investors many a time and this can some day result in a major incident,” said founding chairman of the BQATI Naeem Ilyas Khanani.
At least eight people have been killed in robberies at the highway over the last two months but the government has still taken no concrete action, the industrialists said.
“We have taken all possible security measures inside the industrial areas, like community policing, but we don’t have enough money to provide vehicles to police for patrolling the highway,” he said, adding that providing safety is the responsibility of the government.
“Highway robberies have increased over the last year. The robbers are now getting so bold that they have started robbing people in broad daylight,” he added.
Police say that the criminals have links with high officials and get released within a few hours of their arrest. A small number of policemen and inadequate funds make it difficult to launch a crackdown on criminals, police officials claim.
Brig Hafeez Ahmad (retd), Director Operation, Faisalabad Oil Refinery, said the industrialists are helpless as they have no option but to operate in the area and run their factories in fear of being robbed.
Since, there are hundreds of road arteries to the National Highway, criminals operate even in day time without any fear, they added.
BQATI, formerly known as Port Qasim Association of Trade and Industry, has expanded into one of the biggest industrial clusters of Pakistan with thousands of large and small industrial units.
Industrialists also suggest police and Port Qasim Authority to install CCTV cameras at vulnerable points and increase patrolling and snap checking to save the process of industrialisation, otherwise it will be too late to retain the foreign investment.
Published in the Express Tribune, June 18th, 2010.
“Car snatching and robberies are now a daily routine on the National Highway,” said Acting Vice-Chairman of the Bin Qasim Association of Trade and Industry (BQATI) Usman Ahmed while adressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club (KPC).
He expressed serious concern over the deteriorating law and order and police inaction to secure the National Highway.
Almost everyday, there are at least five or six incidents of robberies reported on the highway which involve gangs of three of four criminals riding on motorcycles, he said. These incidents are common in the Landhi industrial area, Memon Goth and other areas near the highway, he said. On top of this, industrialists are forced to pay extortion money (bhata) to these gangsters, the industrialists said.
“Miscreants have also robbed foreign investors many a time and this can some day result in a major incident,” said founding chairman of the BQATI Naeem Ilyas Khanani.
At least eight people have been killed in robberies at the highway over the last two months but the government has still taken no concrete action, the industrialists said.
“We have taken all possible security measures inside the industrial areas, like community policing, but we don’t have enough money to provide vehicles to police for patrolling the highway,” he said, adding that providing safety is the responsibility of the government.
“Highway robberies have increased over the last year. The robbers are now getting so bold that they have started robbing people in broad daylight,” he added.
Police say that the criminals have links with high officials and get released within a few hours of their arrest. A small number of policemen and inadequate funds make it difficult to launch a crackdown on criminals, police officials claim.
Brig Hafeez Ahmad (retd), Director Operation, Faisalabad Oil Refinery, said the industrialists are helpless as they have no option but to operate in the area and run their factories in fear of being robbed.
Since, there are hundreds of road arteries to the National Highway, criminals operate even in day time without any fear, they added.
BQATI, formerly known as Port Qasim Association of Trade and Industry, has expanded into one of the biggest industrial clusters of Pakistan with thousands of large and small industrial units.
Industrialists also suggest police and Port Qasim Authority to install CCTV cameras at vulnerable points and increase patrolling and snap checking to save the process of industrialisation, otherwise it will be too late to retain the foreign investment.
Published in the Express Tribune, June 18th, 2010.