KARACHI – After growing increasingly frustrated with extortion by criminal gangs and the persistent energy crisis, businessmen are shifting industries from Sindh to Bangladesh in a bid to secure and preserve their investments; it has been learnt from reliable souces. Criminals have forced the departure of many industrialists to shift their running business to Punjab as well, leaving Sindh’s industrial areas empty and deserted, well placed sources in Sindh’s industries and commerce department told Pakistan Today.
Sindh has housed thousands of national and multinational industrial units in the two decades, which have been a major presence and impact on the national economy.
However, the bhatta culture propagated by political parties and individual groups has compelled the industrialists to either shut down their units or shift them to safer locations, the sources added. There are at least eight industries estates in Sindh that include Sindh Industrial Trading Estates (SITE) at Karachi, Superhighway, Nooriabad, Hyderabad, Kotri, Tando Adam, Sukkur and Nawabshah with providing employment to millions of skilled and unskilled labourers.
The largest industrial area of Sindh is established in Karachi with access to seaports and a major international airport. The Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) was established in 1947 over an area of 4,460 acres of land on the pattern of UK estates and an appropriate sum of money was allocated to stand the industrial estate on its feet. The SITE comprises over 2500 industrial units and storage facilites providing employment to thousands. It is generating billions of rupees worth of goods and services and is a major contributor in the export earnings of the country.
Moreover, sources reveal that gangs, with either direct or indirect political patronage, are involved in extracting bhatta from industrialists and issuing menacing life threats if an individual refuses to cooperate. An official of Sindh’s industries and commerce department confirmed to Pakistan Today that more than 200 industries had been shifted to Bangladesh as the bhatta culture has become pervasive in industrial areas, causing severe problems for local investors.
The industrial areas have allegedly been divided amongst political and religious parties in terms of bhatta collection. For example, no party encroach onto the industrial facilities located near Godhra Camp, New Karachi as a strong religious party holds the area in atight grip, the official added. “Yes, industries are being shifted to Punjab and Bangladesh given the poor law and order situation in the Sindh’s industrial areas and the menace of bhatta culture”, confirmed Sindh Minister for Industries and Commerce acknowledged, while speaking to Pakistan Today. Though, industrialists and oversea investors are interested to invest in Sindh, the poor security situation deters potentially successful enterprises from materialisng.
Siddiqui concurred that the manifestation of Bhatta had a very damaging impact on the atate of industry in the province. “My department has repeatedly informed the home department and the police authorities of the bhatta mafia operating in the industrial areas, but no action has so far been taken to deal with the extortionists”, the minister lamented.