SATURDAY AUGUST 20: Business community for deployment of troops

KARACHI: Business community here on Friday showed its even increasing worries over the current wave of killings, kidnappings and the worst ever law and order situation, and urged the government to deploy Pak army in Karachi. Violence created tension in the city with reports of fresh kidnappings and killings. The entire business climate remained highly foggy in the absence of security.
The incidents of kidnappings and killings have badly hit industrial and business activity in the metropolitan city. Traders and industrialists were of the opinion that police have miserably failed to control law and order, and now the government has no option but to call army and hand over the city to it. They also expressed astonishment on government's unwillingness to impose curfew on troubled areas to save precious lives and conduct house-to-house search for the recovery of illegal arms and criminals.
They said that various options are under consideration of business community to press the government to do something to control law and order in the city. The options include a token strike call and then an indefinite strike, and persuade the government to deploy army. However, a traders' group opposed giving any strike call in this sales season of Eid.
They said the city is burning and it has become the killing field. A number of traders and businessmen have changed their mobile SIMs and they are reluctant to pick up phone from unknown numbers. Talking to Business Recorder, Vice President of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Junaid Ismail Makda, said that business community is in a fix in prevailing conditions and extremely worried about the situation.
He said there is no clear solution of the problem and suggested that control of police stations and the city be handed over to rangers. Chairman of Federal 'B' Area Association of Trade and Industry (FBAATI), Mohammad Irfan urged the government to take appropriate measure and call army if needed, to control law and order in the city.
The Chairman of Pakistan Tanners Association (S.Z), PTA, Aziz Ahmed, has strongly appealed to the government to take stringent measures to maintain law and order of the city to save precious lives of the citizens. In a statement, he said that export shipments are badly affected due to worsening law and order situation.
He said that labour force is not coming to work due to massive targeted killings in almost every corner of the city. He said that all foreign buyers have also cancelled their visit to Pakistan due to law and order and exporters are extremely worried over cancelling of orders. He asked the government to take every necessary action to restore law and order instead of sitting idle.
"For the greater interests of the country and safety of precious lives of the citizens, we appeal to the government to ask army to take over law enforcement responsibilities of the city for the time being, and return to the barracks soon after cleansing the city of illegitimate arms and weapons", Chairman of Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) Johar Ali Qandhari said.
He said the ongoing strife between various groups and gang war have destroyed Karachi's peace and traders and industrialists are frightened to go to their businesses. The old city area is totally disturbed while industrial production has been severely affected. He warned that in such a situation the government cannot run the country's affairs as Karachi, being the backbone of the economy, may not be able to feed the entire country anymore.
"This is the worst ever economic situation in the city during the last three years and due to which the entire country is suffering. People are reluctant to come out of their homes. How the country's economy could be run in this extremely fragile situation," leader of the business community and former president of FPCCI S M Muneer asked the government. He asked the apex body of the business community - FPCCI - to immediately call an emergency meeting of the stakeholders and decide a line of action in order to save the country's economy.
The business leaders were of the view that the killing of innocent people in almost every area of Karachi is becoming a routine affair and it appears that law enforcing agencies are not capable to control the situation. Former Chairman KATI, Zahid Husain and Vice Chairmen Saleemuzzaman and Shahid Jawed Qureshi besides members of KATI, showing their grave concern on prevailing law and order situation of Karachi, said that it seems that law and order is getting out of control of the local administration and the law enforcing agencies and it's now inevitable to call Pak army to control the law and order situation in the city.