KCCI President asks govt to maintain law, order in Karachi

KARACHI: President Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Agha Shahab Ahmed Khan while expressing deep concerns over the sudden rise in law & order incidents in Karachi, urged the authorities to adopt stringent security measures for maintaining complete peace in every nook and corner of Karachi.

Referring to Friday’s target killing of a police constable in Korangi who was the sixth police official shot dead in a series of targeted killings in the provincial capital in recent months, President KCCI stated that in addition to such target killings, the looting incidents and street crimes have also risen sharply in many key localities of the city.

He said, “Citizens are fearlessly being looted at gunpoint either in broad daylight or late night while the police and rangers officials are nowhere seen close to those crime spots where such incidents are frequently taking place”.

Agha Shahab said, Karachiites have been suffering badly since the beginning of 2020 as initially they had to face the negative impact of the lockdown imposed to contain further spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was followed by the torrential rainfalls that triggered urban flooding and terribly destroyed the entire infrastructure of Karachi.

“Nowadays, fear grips the city as the incidents of target killings and street crimes are also on a rise,” he added.

“It seems that the citizens of the largest city have been left alone mercilessly as no major step has been taken so far to provide relief to the perturbed citizens in terms of infrastructure and security except for just lip service by the decision-makers at the federal and provincial levels which is counter-productive as the masses are fed up of the unfulfilled promises and assurances”, Agha Shahab added.

He underscored that the LEAs will have to adopt modern techniques including the latest equipment, installation of more CCTV cameras and responsive helpline numbers along with efficient Command & Control Center, to thwart the unlawful activities of street criminals and target killers as the traditional policing would not yield results.

“It has also been observed that due to lockdown for almost six consecutive months, many jobless youngsters who were confronting severe financial crises,  landed in the world of crime hence, it is very necessary to focus simultaneously on ‘correction and prevention’ so that better society. Any negligence in controlling criminal behavior is criminal negligence”, he added.

President KCCI said that the objectives of the Karachi operation were achieved as the law enforcing agencies including police and rangers became very responsive and acted rapidly as they were desperate to completely cleanse the city from the outlaws but nowadays, “it seems that both the custodians of law & order have become lethargic which is not a good sign”.

He urged the higher authorities in Sindh Government, Police Department and Pakistan Rangers Sindh to issue strict directives and devise effective strategies that must not only put an end to the incidents of target killings and street crimes but also ensure peace and tranquility all over Karachi.

“Keeping in view the massive contribution being made by Karachi to the national and provincial exchequers, any disruption in law & order situation would create severe economic crises for the entire country hence, the authorities will be to act wisely and promptly to deal with this sensitive issue”, he added.