LAHORE: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) on Tuesday welcomed the government’s decision to set up database of the citizens of Karachi under Safe City Project and termed it an important move to establish peace in the largest city of the country.
In a statement issued here, LCCI President Sheikh Muhammad Arshad, Senior Vice President Almas Hyder and Vice President Nasir Saeed said that database of Karachiites’ to identify locals and non-locals and surveillance cameras will ensure security of Karachi which is hub of the trade and economic activities.
They said that Safe City Project will definitely improve the law and order situation in Karachi and will reduce the incidents of extortion, target killing and kidnapping for ransom which are already declining because of concrete measures of the government and law enforcement agencies.
The LCCI office-bearers said that extension in anti-terrorism and Pakistan protection laws would also help improve law and order situation therefore parliament should make immediate decision in this regard. They said that these are one of the effective and permanent solutions to the threat of terrorism that would be implemented in true sense of word.
They said that such measures are need of the hour as enemies of Pakistan are busy in damaging the soft image of the Pakistan. They said that no sympathy should be shown to the terrorists as they are playing havoc with the interests of Pakistan.
They said that though the law and order situation is far better as compared to past but still a lot of work has to be done to establish complete peace from Khyber to Karachi.
The LCCI office-bearers said that federal and provincial government should be on the same page to remove the menace of terrorism in the country and all segments of society should play role in this regard.
The LCCI office-bearers said that law enforcement agencies should enhance their coordination to destroy the networks of the terrorists. Though Pakistan Army and intelligence agencies have played laudable efforts to eliminate terrorism but recent incidents have shown that story is not ended and still a lot of work has to do.
They said that there are several causes of terrorism and there is a need to find the root causes of this threat to save our next generations. They said that injustice, corruption, unemployment, poverty and illiteracy are some of the main causes of terrorism therefore these issues also be tackled with aggressive approach.
They particularly stressed the need for speedy justice saying that immediate justice and exemplary punishments to the terrorists and their facilitators would give a clear message to anti-Pakistan elements.
They said that killing of innocent people is an ugly attempt to destabilize country by creating an impression of unsafe place in the eyes of international community.
They urged the government to convene a roundtable of all the political parties and business community representatives to make a consensus policy to cope with law and order related incidents that have jolted the very basis of the country. They said that it was very strange that despite all our efforts, the terrorists were attacking the place of their choice and killing innocent people.
“Any further delay would cause undue damage to the country therefore the President, Prime Minister and all the Chief Ministers should sit with the politicians and business leaders to evolve a methodology to get rid of this menace” the LCCI office-bearers concluded.
