18 October 2004	Monday	03 Ramazan 1425

KARACHI, Oct 17: A British businessman, who came to Pakistan for striking a business deal, was robbed of his cash and belongings in Defence on Sunday.

SHO Defence Zia confirmed the robbery and said that the complaint was lodged at the Defence police station.

Shabbir Ahmed, Chairman of the Pakistan Bedware Exporters Association told Dawn that he received his foreigner guest at the airport and as they reached his residence, located in DHA-II, three men in a white car intercepted them. The robbers at gunpoint snatched a suitcase, mobile phones, passport, air tickets, credit cards and 800 pounds sterling cash from them and escaped with the loot.

Mr Ahmed said that the robbers appeared educated and were well-dressed. They covered the number plate of their car with black plastic bag so that the number could not be visible. He said that he came to know through newspapers that bullet-proof cars would be imported for ministers which reflected the worsening law and order situation. There was no protection for common man and the government officials were worried about their own security.

According to the police statistics based on the reported cases, three men are looted every two hours in the city. Besides, a conservative estimate suggested two people are robbed every hour in the metropolis and many cases are not reported to the police as people are afraid of going to a police station.

Mr Ahmed said that worsening law and order situation and increasing number of robberies would force businessmen and foreign entrepreneurs to shift their business to any other country where law and order was under control. He said that many of the businessmen had moved to Dubai and the Gulf countries because of the rising robberies in the city.