Measures against extortion mafias: KCCI likely to defer protest on chief minister's assurance

The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) is likely to revise the date of strike, on the assurance by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and Home Minister Zulfikar Mirza that they are taking appropriate measures to apprehend extortionist mafias.
A meeting of representatives of KCCI and leaders of business community was held with the Chief Minister on Saturday to discuss the issue of extortionist mafias and their increasing threats to kidnap and kill businessmen in case they failed to fulfil their demands.
A former president of KCCI, Siraj Kasiim Teli apprised the chief minister about seriousness of the situation and said that extortionist mafias has started killing businessmen in broad daylight without fear that they may be arrested. He demanded establishing pickets in city business centres including old city business area Jodia Bazar where incidents of extortion of money and harassment activities were rampant.
Teli further demanded that the measures taken by the government should be visible to curb the deteriorating law and order. He further demanded that law enforcing agencies be provided with equipment to identify location of criminals to arrest them. He also demanded that unregistered mobile phone SIMs must be closed.
KCCI President Muhammad Saeed Shafiq asked the chief minister to direct the concerned authorities to take instant realistic security measures to save lives in business community. He said that it is responsibility of the government to provide conducive atmosphere for carrying out business activities. He said that the Chamber would monitor measures taken by the government to apprehend the culprits in the next two days and in case of government failure the Chamber might revise the date of strike.
The Chief Minister accepted their demands and promised to establish police pickets at identifies places where incidents of extortion of money and harassment were rampant. Zulfiqar Mirza directed law enforcing agencies to take immediate action against culprits involved in extortion of money, irrespective of party connection, and to keep 24 hours link with the Chamber.
Shafiq has also advised traders and industrialists and shopkeepers to hoist white flags at their business premises to express their solidarity with the Chamber on the law and order situation confirming their readiness to close their businesses on the call of the Chamber.
The meeting was attended by Saud Mirza, Capital City Police Officer, Iqbal Mahmood, DIG Police South, Sharfuddin Memon, Consultant to Home Minster Sindh, Haroon Farooki, Anjum Nisar, Vice Chairmen and former Presidents-KCCI, Talat Mahmood, Senior Vice President, Junaid Esmail Makda, Vice President, Majeed Memon, Chairman, Special Committee for Small Traders-KCCI, Saleem Farooqi, former Vice President, Hafeez Aziz, Chairman, Law & Order Sub-committee, Yunus Bashir, Chief Chamber-Police Liaison Committee, Rehan Hanif, Ashraf Grace. Earlier, KCCI President had given strike call for April 5 and urged the government to hand over the city to army to maintain law and order in the city.