Businessmen up in arms against extortion

Commercial associations issue statements of support for strike.

KARACHI:

In support to the strike call by small traders for today, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and other town associations of the city have said that they back the demands of small traders without formally joining the strike.

“The Saturday strike has been called due to the poor government response in controlling the rising trend of extortion,” said Chairman All Karachi Tajir Ittahad Atiq Mir.

Chairman SITE Association of Trade and Industry Muhammad Irfan Moton said that his association has not announced to support the strike, but its members do think that the reason is well placed.

“Most of our industries do not run on Saturday anyway, owing to the 12-hour gas load management in our industrial area,” he said. This is another reason that few industries will be in production today.

President KCCI Mian Abrar Ahmed said that the leadership of KCCI fully endorses MQM’s viewpoint on rising extortion cases and the deteriorating law and order situation in the financial capital of Pakistan.

“Any action taken in this respect will be appreciated by the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry,” he said. “KCCI supports all steps taken by small traders against the rising cases of extortion in city,” he added.

KCCI says that it sent a SOS letter to the president, prime minister, the governor and chief minister sindh, federal and provincial interior ministers, DG rangers and IG police Sindh, demanding their immediate intervention, but nothing has proved worthwhile.

Small traders lament the killing of several businessmen in recent street crimes in Karachi. Criminal activities in the markets and industrial areas – including extortion (bhatta), kidnapping for ransom and decoities – are spiraling out of control, causing widespread fear in the business community, they say. They have expressed concerns over the prevailing law and order situation in Karachi while criticising the government’s failure to control the situation.

Saturday is expected to be a low business activity day owing to other reasons as well, including the closure of CNG stations and industries in two major industrial zones of the city.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 17^th, 2012.