Union of Small and Medium Enterprises asked to seek Human Rights Commission of Pakistan protection against extortion | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Union of Small and Medium Enterprises asked to seek Human Rights Commission of Pakistan protection against extortion

KARACHI: The International Council of SMEs (ICSMEs) has advised its Pakistani representative body, the Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME), to seek protection from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) against kidnapping, extortion and victimisation of SMEs by gangsters in industrial areas, a statement said on Saturday.

Zulfikar Thaver, president of UNISAME, said that the ICSMEs expressed concern over the SMEs who were the victims of extortion and kidnapping for ransom and advised it to take up the matter with the HRCP, which formed the commission and was struggling to protect the victims.

The business community expects that by virtue of the HRCP the victimisation of the entrepreneurs would be controlled and protection granted to the businessmen to enable them carry out their activities in a better environment.

Thaver said that it was unfortunate that despite several appeals by various chambers of commerce and industry and trade associations, the government did not taken serious measures to control the situation.

“The gangsters are not sparing even the SMEs and are collecting extortion money even from hawkers, shopkeepers, manufacturers and merchants and their unlawful activities are increasing by each passing day,” he said.

The News