KARACHI: Deploring that the government and the local administration were not able to provide adequate security to the life and property of the people, Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has said that there is no other option left for the citizens but to “think and prepare themselves for self-protection”.

Mr Hussain was speaking on the phone from London to a meeting of the MQM coordination committee held here on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Karachi in the wake of several incidents of terrorism.

He said the entire city was in the grip of armed terrorists and the citizens were left at their mercy, said a press release issued after the meeting.

Mr Hussain condemned the attack on a cellphone franchise, killing of a doctor in Malir, three youths in North Karachi and the assassination of two women from Balochistan and their driver.

He said he had been forewarning the nation that Karachi was being handed over to terrorists under a conspiracy. He regretted that he was not taken seriously and his warnings were instead ridiculed and the government and the administration did not pay attention to what he was saying.

He said there was no other option left for the citizens but to prepare themselves for self-protection. If this was not done, the terrorists would become emboldened and more people would fall victim to terrorism, he added.

He appealed to businessmen, traders and citizens to come forward to guard their streets, shops and workplaces against terrorists instead of solely depending on the police and the administration.