یہ مظلوم تاجر بھی کیا پاکستان کے خلاف سازش کر رہے ہیں کیا ایک سال سے۔ کراچی میں فوجی آپریشن کروانا کراچی کے عوام کا ایک دیرینہ مطالبہ ہے۔ یہی وجہ ہے کہ فوجی آپریشن کا مطالبہ ایم کیو ایم کو بھی کرنا پڑا۔
Traders demand army action against extortionists
KARACHI: Traders in the city on Tuesday staged a protest demonstration against extortion and violent attacks by extortionists on members of the business community.
Speaking to the protesters outside the Karachi Press Club, leaders of the Sindh Tajir Ittehad (STI) condemned persistent threats from extortionists and demanded deployment of the army in the city, saying that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) had also now supported the call.Led by STI leader Jamil Paracha, the protesters raised
slogans against the Sindh government and demanded military intervention for a lasting peace in the city.
They claimed that the provincial administration had absolutely failed to tackle the menace.
“The Sindh government has failed to provide security to any segment of society,” said Mr Paracha, adding that personnel of the police and other law-enforcement agencies had become so helpless that they could not protect themselves from criminals. “Killing of more than 100 policemen so far this year reflects the state of affairs and the level of threat they are faced with. We believe that only the army can now ensure restoration of a lasting peace in the city and eliminate criminal gangs.”
He said traders had been paying millions of rupees every month to extortionists because anyone not coming to the criminals’ terms had to face dire consequences. “Traders and their family members are kidnapped and grenades are thrown on their houses and business places to force them to pay ‘bhatta’, he said.
Mr Paracha rejected criticism of the demand for army takeover of Karachi, arguing that those terming the demand ‘a conspiracy against democracy’ should know that the constitution did have a provision for such an action in a situation that had arisen in Karachi.
Several MQM lawmakers and activists participated in the traders’ demonstration, which ended with an announcement about the STI plan to stage a sit-in outside the Sindh Assembly in support of their demand. A date for the sit-in was yet to be fixed.
Meanwhile, the Karachi Tajir Ittehad (KTI) — comprising traders and shopkeepers of about 350 wholesale and retail markets in the city – has repeated its demand for handing over the city to the army.
“In fact we had made this demand last year when extortion turned the situation in the city worst,” KTI leader Ateeq Meer said, recalling that his organisation had observed a city-wide shutdown in April 2011 against extortion and serious threats from extortionists to the business community. Several major political parties had also supported the call, he added.—Staff Reporter
http://www.dawn.com/news/1038749/traders-demand-army-action-against-extortionists