KARACHI, March 19: The fresh wave of violence, targeting the most protected area on Sunday — a Protestant church located in diplomatic enclave in Islamabad — has again dampened the spirit of the businessmen who now fear a lull setting in their activities.

With no apparent let-up in this new wave of targeted killing, three persons including a scholar of repute were shot dead by unknown assailants in Lahore on Tuesday morning. Setting up of more than 150 police check posts in various localities of Karachi and frequent checking of vehicles by the law enforcers has failed to create any sense of security.

The latest attack in Islamabad comes in wake of the complaints made by several businessmen in Karachi of receiving threat calls. “A certain amount of money has been demanded with a threat that in case of non-compliance my dead body could be found in sack,” a well-known business leader, who also held an important public office a few years ago, said.

Other businessmen, many of them textile exporters also speak of getting dumb calls on their telephones. Security has been strengthened privately as well as by the police in many business establishment. But the latest attack on a church in Islamabad, claiming five lives has given a jolt to the business community.

President, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Maqbool A Shaikh, in his message to US ambassador Ms Wendy Chamberlin has expressed his shock on the barbaric act of terrorism.

Pakistan Leather Garments Manufacturers & Exporters Association chairman Fawad Ijaz Khan has also condemned the attack on church and recalled that after the Sept 11 incident foreign buyers stopped coming to Pakistan. But lately some positive signs started to emerge as things began to settle down. But the recent wave of violence has given a serious setback to the business activities, he added.

Fawad said that it was now peak season for the foreign buyers after completion of international trade fairs in the US and Europe in January and February 2002, to visit foreign countries to place export orders, but due to law and order situation they may divert visits to other neighbouring countries.