Founder and Leader of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) Mr Hussain has expressed grave concerns over the rising incidents of demands of extortions from traders and shopkeepers, kidnappings for ransom, robberies and street crimes in Karachi. He expressed his dismay over the singular failure of the police, rangers and other law-enforcing agencies in controlling the crimes in the city.
Mr Hussain said that, on the one hand, citizens were beleaguered by hardened criminals involved in bank robberies, kidnappings, and street crimes and on the other hand, the business community was being forced to pay huge sums as extortion money. The criminals threaten with murder, kidnapping and grenade attacks if their demands are not fulfilled.
Mr Hussain said that the business community in Karachi had been keeping the police and the administration abreast about the worsening situation, but nothing was being done to improve the failing law and order situation in the city. It seemed that the business community had been left at the total mercy of the criminals.
Mr Hussain said that the gravity of the situation could be judged from the fact that the businesses were being closed resulting in dwindling economic activity in the city.
Mr Hussain said that the crimes were on the increase in Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and other cities of the province as well.
Mr Hussain said that Karachi was the hub of economic activity in the country. If the economy of the country was to be salved, the president and the prime minister must intervene immediately and rid the citizens of Karachi from the menacing grip of the criminals and extortion mafia.
Mr Hussain expressed sympathies to the business community and said that the MQM would make every effort to improve the situation.