Pakistani business body urges traders to boost security as extortion threats rise in Karachi
ISLAMABAD: A top business body in Pakistan’s commercial capital, Karachi, has issued an urgent security advisory to its members following a sharp uptick in extortion threats, warning traders to install CCTV systems as cases of intimidation and violence rise across the city.
In a circular dated October 4 and seen by Arab News, the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) said business owners have reported receiving “extortion chits accompanied by bullets, with demands for heavy extortion money,” describing the situation as “extremely alarming.”
“The recordings of such CCTV footage may be shared with KCCI, enabling the Chamber to escalate the matter to the concerned authorities with concrete evidence to ensure swift action and the arrest of those involved in such heinous crimes,” the letter read.
The advisory comes amid growing concerns from Karachi’s trader and industrialist community, many of whom say extortion attempts once quelled by years of security operations have made a troubling comeback in recent weeks.
