Karachi, December 17, 2025 — The Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD) on Wednesday issued a one-month ultimatum to the government, warning of a citywide shutdown of construction activities and protest sit-ins if rising incidents of extortion and kidnapping for ransom are not curbed by January 15, 2026.
The warning was announced during a press conference addressed by ABAD Chairman Hasan Bakhshi, Patron-in-Chief Mohsin Sheikhani, Senior Vice Chairman Afzal Hameed, and Karachi Chamber of Commerce representative Hafeez Aziz, among others.
Speaking to the media, Mohsin Sheikhani said Karachi’s business community had reached a breaking point due to worsening law and order. He alleged that police and law-enforcement agencies appeared helpless against extortionists, many of whom are operating openly from abroad.
“Unless red warrants are issued against identified criminals, nothing will change,” Sheikhani said, questioning why the federal interior minister had not taken action. He added that the “bhatta culture” existed only in Karachi, unlike other major cities such as Lahore.
ABAD Chairman Hasan Bakhshi said extortion had reached alarming levels, with at least ten ABAD members receiving calls from numbers traced to Dubai and Iran over the past five months. “Extortion demands totaling nearly Rs5 billion have been made. In several cases, when money was not paid, firing occurred at construction sites and staff were injured,” he said.
Bakhshi alleged that extortionists openly provided bank account details for traceable transfers, yet no action was taken despite dozens of registered cases. He named several alleged extortionists and claimed that 15 to 20 ABAD members were paying monthly extortion under duress.
He warned that if conditions did not improve, ABAD would shut down construction projects and stage sit-ins, including outside the Sindh Chief Minister’s House. “Karachi’s contribution to national tax revenue has already fallen from 65% to 54%. Businesses are relocating, and the city’s economy is being destroyed by a handful of criminals,” he said.
Senior Vice Chairman Afzal Hameed termed the situation a conspiracy to sabotage Pakistan’s economy, while Hafeez Aziz said traders in major markets were being forced to pay monthly extortion. “Law and order is our fundamental right. Security is not a favour,” he stressed.
ABAD leaders urged federal and provincial authorities, including law-enforcement agencies, to take immediate ownership of the issue, warning that continued inaction would paralyse Karachi’s real estate and construction sector, with serious consequences for the national economy.