Strategic importance of Karachi also brought threats to city: Kamal

The strategic importance of Karachi has also brought threats to the city itself, said the outgoing City Nazim Karachi Syed Mustafa Kamal, while addressing a conference on "Anti-Terrorism and Disaster Management Conference," organised by a media group here at a local hotel on Tuesday.
"The 90,000 Nato troops in Afghanistan even can not drink fresh water in the neighbouring country if the supply through this city is stopped," he said, adding that everything to the landlocked country was being supplied through the metropolis. "The tremendous advantages of the city have also brought threats and high challenges to the metropolis itself," he added.
Karachi, a gateway to the world's countries having two seaports with 20 million of population, has an attraction for different powers across the globe. He said if Karachi, being the financial hub of the country, was disturbed the whole country would be indirectly disturbed, as the city is the lifeline for the rest of the country. Regarding terrorism, Kamal said that the involvement of general people was needed for combating terrorism.
"If the people are facilitated with better education, training, health and job opportunities, the curse of terrorism will ultimately meet its end," he added. Earlier, Brigadier Rashid Ali Malik, President World Association of Detectives, while presenting his paper on "the Great Game Continues -Implication for Pakistan" said that Pakistan was facing multi-dimensional challenges both in the domestic and international fronts.
In its surroundings where different conflicts/issues like Arab versus Israel, India versus Pakistan, Russia versus former Soviet Union states, Shia Sunni sentiments and clashes of interests, were not resolved, Pakistan's role due to its strategic location and other reasons was very important.
Talking about the threats the country has been facing from the neighbouring country, he said that India has been fully involved in the reconstruction of Afghanistan, where it has even started running schools. The outcome of these schools would be disastrous for Pakistan, he added.
Suggesting an "AfPkInd" solution for the longstanding issues in the region, he said that the Kashmir issue should be resolved as early as possible as it was a fact that "the roads to Kabul runs through Kashmir". Sardar Shoukat Popalzai, President Balochistan Economic Forum, while presenting his paper on "Terrorism Dimension, Economic Impact" said that the Indian involvement in Balochistan could not be neglected and the government should take bold steps over the issue.
He said the terrorists' sponsors were not the poor families, but very rich and highly trained people, having a designed aim of destabilising the country. Pakistan is losing around $6 billion per year in the war against terrorism, which has an alarming impact on the crisis-stricken economy of the country, he added. DIG Crime Investigation Department Sindh, Mushtaq Ahmed Mehar briefed the conference about the terrorists' attacks in the city.
The Madrassa-branded terrorists, who earlier relied on charity were now relying on the money they received through bank robberies, kidnapping for ransom, drugs trafficking and hijacking for terrorist attacks across the country. Major General Syed Ali Hamid (Retd) in his presentation on "Developing a Bomb Protection and Security Solution" said that the customary practices of installing concrete structure to minimise the effect of terrorist attacks had more causes of destruction. The fragment from double direction causes more losses, he added.
The conference, which was divided into three sessions, was also addressed by different experts from law enforcement agencies and other scholars related to public safety, security and disaster management. An exhibition was also organised at the hotel, where different companies put on display latest anti-terror security equipment and solutions.