Of gangs, turf wars and extortion

Own a business in Karachi and have never been asked for extortion money? You are either lying or are very lucky. The economic and commercial hub has got no respite even in the holiest of months as the killing spree continues - this time with a slightly different ethnic dynamic than the previous episode. The loss of lives is invaluable and the city has lost more people in the past six months than the whole of war-torn northern areas of Pakistan. What Karachi has witnessed in the past few months is horrifying as the hatta disease is spreading quicker than jungle fire. Extortion money from residential and commercial areas is not a new phenomenon in Karachi but for many years it remained concentrated in a select band of areas and the frequency was "tolerable" as one businessmen put. Irked by the rising influence of criminals, the businessmen of the old city area, which represent a huge chunk of Karachis markets have kept shops shut since Monday and protested against police inaction through a sit-in on Thursday. The area is believed to be the hub of all wholesale activities in the city and a days closure in the peak season; when Eid is fast approaching, means a loss that runs into billions of rupees. What is worse is that the practise has even spread to the posh areas of Karachi, as residents and businessmen both have of late complained. Lawlessness in the city has given such confidence to these elements that even the cantonment areas are not being spared. Multinational food chain franchises have also started receiving the notorious parchees demanding money for protection. Keeping aside the loss of lives and the financial one, the immeasurable loss of confidence can be disastrous to Karachis fortunes. If the extortion practise, the threats and the killings continue to grow in the areas perceived to be safer, it would not be long before businesses start moving out of the city. "We have no confidence in the police or any other law enforcement agency...They all know which parties are behind the criminal activities, yet they opt not to act against them. We are completely at the criminals mercy and the businessmens confidence is fast eroding...we are thinking of closing our businesses down or shifting to other cities if this goes on", said a Karachi Electronic Market Association representative speaking to BR Research. What could one say when even the government representatives are heard pleading for peace and actions to be taken. Some circles believe the police are not capable enough to handle the situation, calling for the army to come to the rescue. In reality, it is less about the polices capability to handle, it is more about the will to do so. Experts opine that the police have a very strong intelligence network and there is no way they are unaware of the happening in their surroundings - however the law enforcers lack the will to act against culprits who are often backed by the countrys power brokers. The police are believed to be patronising criminal elements in many areas, based on either their ethnic or political affiliation. It is about time the government sets its priorities right and rises above the mantra of political reconciliation, as the citys peace deteriorates. The police need to be given a free hand to deal with the criminals. If needed, the police force should itself be restructured to yield better results.