Karachi: Increasing Crime Rate Concerns Business Community

Web Desk — The business community in Karachi has expressed grave concern over a growing menace of land grabbing amid a deteriorating law and order situation.

Mohammed Idrees, President of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), said land grabbing activities were once again on the rise, especially in District West, Malir district, Scheme 33, and Jamshoro district, thus increasing the miseries of the business community and general public.

Meanwhile, the deteriorating law and order situation in the city “remains unresolved”, he said, adding that the relevant departments and law enforcement agencies appeared unconcerned about the growing lawlessness.

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According to Idrees, land grabbing activities, including illegal allotments, are being carried out under the supervision of government officials.

According to him, a large number of plots worth billions of rupees were sold illegally, particularly those in developing areas of the city with the involvement of the revenue department, district administration, and the anti-encroachment department.

“Whether public or private property, precious land is fearlessly being taken over by some highly organized and powerful groups of land grabbers,” he noted.

According to him, after illegally occupying these plots, they were sold by making fake documents, which led to the actual owner spending a lot of time in court to prove their ownership.

“The law and order situation in Karachi has worsened,” Idrees lamented.

During February 2022 alone, 186 vehicles and 4,486 motorbikes were either snatched or stolen according to the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) data. He said around 2,199 phones were also stolen during the month.

“Although the CPLC data cover the entire Sindh province, it is of grave concern that around 95% of these criminal activities took place in Karachi, indicating a vulnerable security situation in the city,” he said.

Despite the worsening law and order situation, the law enforcing agencies “remain not more than silent spectators”, he added.

“The federal and provincial governments, in the larger interest of the country as well as Sindh province, must put all their political differences aside and work collectively to resolve the issues of Karachi,” Idress emphasized.

He was of the view that if the situation was not tackled on priority, it would adversely impact the entire country “due to Karachi’s colossal role in the economy of Pakistan”, he cautioned.