Businessmen, industrialists want army in violence-hit city

The city’s prominent businessmen have called upon the government to call in Pakistani Army to control the ever-worsening law and order in this violence-hit metropolis. The demand came from Chief Patron Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) S M Muneer and President All Karachi Industrial Alliance (AKIA) Mian Zahid Hussain while addressing a press conference at Karachi Press Club on Tuesday. They said incidents of target killing, extortion and kidnapping for ransom were on the rise despite all assurances by the provincial government, local police and Sindh Rangers.
The businessmen finally sent SOS to the federal government, President Asif Ali Zardari, Chief of Army Staff and Chief Justice of Pakistan to deploy army in Karachi for a six-week period and go back to their barracks after cleansing of criminals and arms and ammunition from the industrial and commercial hub of the country.
They said the country’s survival depended on Karachi’s survival. “Come to the rescue of Karachi’s economy and Pakistan’s economic sovereignty by sending troops to Karachi,” said Muneer, adding it was the duty of COAS and Chief Justice of Pakistan to immediately take action against the ever-increasing target killings and kidnapping for ransom due to which the mainstream industry was badly suffering, units were closing down and investment was being shifted out of the country.
“We are not against democracy but if the local administration and law enforcing agencies responsible for controlling the law and order fail, then who will come to restore peace except the army,” he said.
Furious over the perceived inaction of the government against ‘bhatta’ mafia and kidnappers, who were now sending bullets and hand grenades to the businessmen with threatening messages, Mian Zahid said situation over the last one month had convinced them that things could only improve once the army took control of the city. “The situation is out of the control of civilian hands,” he said. “Our men are receiving threatening calls and no one is there to console them,” Muneer said adding prevailing situation was forcing them to either surrender to the terrorists or close down businesses and go out of country. He further said almost 8 to 10 people were losing their lives daily in target killing and the police were expressing their inability to control the situation as influential people were supporting these killers and extortionists. They also announced to hold All Pakistan Businessmen Convention in Lahore next week or so in order to decide future line of action and similar conventions would also be held in Karachi and other cities to take masses into confidence. He said that majority of the political parties responsible for maintaining law and order in Karachi were sitting in coalition and had a hold on power.