Acting President Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Altaf A. Ghaffar, while expressing deep concerns over frighteningly high criminal activities including killings, kidnapping for ransom, extortion, robberies and thefts etc. at the highways in Sindh where the ‘bandit reign’ has reached its peak, appealed Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Inspector General Sindh Ghulam Nabi Memon to initiate a thundering and decisive operation against these bandits responsible for destroying peace and security all over the province.

In a statement issued, Acting President KCCI stressed that the grand operation against bandits must be carried out collectively by the law enforcing agencies of Sindh and Punjab in an extremely aggressive manner. Special plan of action must be particularly devised to permanently cleanse the Katcha area of Sindh which continues to serve as safe haven for the outlaws.

He was of the view that an abnormal hike in criminal activities has been witnessed and the law-and-order situation particularly at the highways in Sindh has worsened to such an extent that it has become almost impossible to commute after sunset when bandits take positions to intercept and loot private vehicles, buses, oil tankers, trawlers and trucks laden with locally manufactured and imported goods destined to the upcountry.

Due to rising lawlessness in Sindh, the truckers at first refuse to take shipments to the upcountry because of the risk factor but when somehow convinced, they demand excessively high charges with a condition to move at the highways of Sindh only during daytime which delays the delivery and causes grave losses to Karachi-based businessmen, industrialists and traders who have been constantly approaching KCCI for assistance, he said, adding that these bandits have been fearlessly and mercilessly carrying out crimes from pinpointed locations  at Super Highway, National Highway and the Indus Highway but the law enforcing agencies seem totally helpless in dealing with these bandits who have been hijacking the highways in Sindh every night.

Altaf Ghaffar said, “Due to manifold rise in criminal activities, traffic remains almost suspended throughout the night at the highways in Sindh. The worsening situation can further be gauged from the fact that within a period of just two months, dozens of businessmen and truck drivers have been kidnapped from the highways connecting Sindh with Punjab, of which most were set free either after taking ransom or in lieu of goods in transit.”

There was a time when these bandits remain confined to operating only from the Katcha area of Sindh, but now they have dared to expand their criminal activities at the highways and had been even seen challenging the writ of the state in video messages circulating in social media from time to time, he added.

Acting President KCCI cautioned that if this most perturbing issue stands unresolved, it would further hamper the economic activities due to disruption in the supply chain and sharp rise in transportation cost which has become a headache for the trade and industry. “It is high time that Chief Minister and IG Sindh must rid the citizens of this long-persisting menace and ensure their right to safety and security”, he added.