At the mercy of urban looters and extortionists

Karachi: The incidents of street crimes in the city of Quaid are not being brought under the control of the police, on the other hand, the business community seems to be afraid of the strong and organized network of extortionists, due to which the businessmen have also limited their activities. are

In the first 22 days of this year alone, 13 cases of extortion have been reported, but the law enforcement agencies seem to have failed to arrest the accused involved in extortion. It has happened and it extorts money by scaring traders from foreign numbers.

Extortionists are involved in extortion from neighboring countries (Iran and Afghanistan). The suspects of the Lyari gang war in Iran, who are wanted by Pakistan in several cases, these groups are involved in extortion incidents, due to which the businessmen stopped informing the police, rangers and other law enforcement agencies about the situation. And money is being provided to the extortionists in a secret way.

In just 22 days of New Year 2024, 13 cases of extortion have been registered, in which one case has also been challaned while 12 accused involved in extortion have been arrested so far.

Despite this, the incidents of extortion did not decrease. A cell has also been formed in the Karachi Chamber of Commerce to facilitate businessmen in view of the increasing incidents of extortion under the leadership of Police Chamber Liaison Committee Chief Hafeez Aziz, in which the Sindh Rangers and the police have been appointed by the businessmen on behalf of the extortionists. PCLC Chief Hafeez Aziz told The Express that a meeting was held in the Karachi Chamber of Commerce in which top officers of police and Rangers were held in view of the increasing incidents of extortion. has participated.

Traders are apprehensive about the extortion issue and refuse to file complaints, which makes it impossible to identify such groups, Hafeez Aziz said, adding that the Anti-Extortion Cell has received two complaints in a week, including dates. Traders doing business in the market and a shopping center in Saddar were intimidated and demanded extortion.

In the light of these complaints, Sindh Rangers and Police have arrested 2 extortionists, PCLC Chief Hafeez Aziz said that traders can contact without fear and their name will be kept confidential. On the other hand, SSP City Amjad Hayat says that the police is serious in arresting extortionists.

In the past few days, extortionists killed a businessman in the steel market in the Old City area, the accused have been killed in a police encounter, but the performance of the Special Cell Specialized Investigation Unit (SIU) created for the prevention of extortion is highly effective. Disappointingly, it has not shown any performance to prevent the increasing incidents of extortion. The officers have been removed from their posts while the officials involved in the death of the citizen have also been arrested.

In the city of Karachi, 3 businessmen have been killed in just one month, the Karachi police claim to improve law and order, but in practice, the police of Shahr Quaid are dealing with street crime, drug trafficking and extortion. Khoury’s genie also fails to be bottled.

An organized network of extortionists has killed 3 businessmen in a month for non-payment of extortion, which can be a good measure of their daring. The network of extortionists is being operated from Iran and Afghanistan, whose The steps taken by the Sindh Police are not enough to break the crime, the steel trader Shehzad Jafarani was shot dead in broad daylight in his office in the busiest market of the city district in Karachi, gang war involved in the murder. It has been claimed that one of the workers was killed in a police encounter, while in the New Karachi Industrial Area of ​​the Central District, firing was done on the car of a clothing merchant Saleem Moon, as a result of which his young son Osama Moon lost his life. .

According to police sources, firing was done on the car of cloth merchant Saleem Moon over a dispute over allowance, as a result of which his son was killed. has been.

Similarly, in District Central New Karachi Industrial Area, a yarn merchant named Bilal was seriously injured by firing at his shop, the accused were arrested by the police and this incident also turned out to be an example of extortion, while the police last time The accused who demanded Rs 2 crore extortion from the owner of a dyeing factory in Azizabad area in December of the year have also been arrested.

According to the Citizen Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) report, 11 cases of extortion were reported in the month of December alone last year. A Specialized Investigation Unit (SIU) has been established by the CIA to nab the extortionists involved in extortion cases by the Karachi Police, but this unit is also not involved in nabbing extortionists or extorting businessmen. Unable to identify the accused who gave the slips.

The Specialized Investigation Unit investigated 139 cases of extortion in the year 2023, in which 69 accused were challaned and 22 cases were classified as “C class” i.e. canceled class, 10 cases of extortion false. Due to prosecution, 23 cases were dropped and 123 extortionists were arrested.