KARACHI: Chief Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi, Monem Zafar Khan on Thursday strongly criticized the Sindh government and the police over what he termed their “incompetence and failure” to maintain law and order in the city, warning that Karachi has been pushed to the brink of destruction.
Reacting to the deteriorating security situation, the growing menace of extortion particularly targeting the business community and a recent press conference by leaders of the Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD), Monem Zafar said the prevailing “system” had failed the country’s largest city.
He said that due to apathy, criminal negligence, and poor governance under the Pakistan Peoples Party’s provincial government, the situation had become so alarming that even the business community of the country’s economic hub had been forced to hold press conferences and stage protests.
The JI leader said citizens and public circles had repeatedly drawn the government’s attention to worsening law and order, extortion, theft, armed robberies, and the unchecked activities of criminal elements, but those in power continued to ignore these concerns.
Referring to the ABAD press conference, Monem Zafar said the association’s leaders had once again exposed an organized extortion network with solid evidence, clearly identifying those involved. He added that ABAD leader revealed extortion from their members had been ongoing for months, alleged involvement of government officials in land grabbing, and said complaints had already been lodged with the authorities, but no action had been taken. He said ABAD had warned that if extortion was not brought to an end and the business community was not provided protection, they would resort to protests, sit-ins, and even shut down businesses. He added that capital was already being shifted out of Karachi due to the worsening situation.
Monem Zafar said Jamaat-e-Islami would not remain silent and stood firmly with Karachi’s traders. He warned that if the government and senior officials failed to take immediate notice, the consequences would not be limited to Karachi alone but could severely damage the national economy. Highlighting Karachi’s economic contribution, he said the city runs the country, pays the highest taxes, and contributes around 95 percent of Sindh’s budget, yet remains deprived of its legitimate and legal rights.
He further accused the PPP-led Sindh government and the police of leaving the people and business community at the mercy of extortionists, thieves, and armed robbers. While crime continues to rise, he said, citizens remain deprived of basic facilities and face countless problems, calling it the outcome of the PPP’s “worst performance” over the past 17 years.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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