Practice of extortion on the rise in Peshawar

Salman Yousafzai

Taking extortion has become on the most dangerous practices in the country. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in general and Peshawar in particular have also been badly affected by this menace. Sources in police department said that the traders of provincial capital have so far given millions of rupees as extortion money to the extortionists. These criminals have become so powerful that some reports suggested that they had also demanded extortion money from one of the influential person in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. The police sources also claimed to have arrested two persons for threatening the important political figure of the province. The extortionists were few years back were associated only with Karachi but now they have started their criminal activities in Peshawar with businessmen and high profile people as their victims. Mostly the extortionists called traders from the numbers of Afghanistan and Waziristan. The Afghanistan numbers can be used easily as different telecom companies are providing roaming facilities. The Peshawar High Court though have ordered immediate stop to providing roaming facilities to Afghan companies in Pakistan. A resident of Peshawar who is running a travel Agency informed The Frontier Post on the condition of anonymity that he received calls from unidentified extortionist last week demanding extortion money, however, at last he informed police about the incident and give the number of extortionist to Gulberg police but they no action was taken against the criminals so far. While contacted officials of Gulberg Police Station said that in such cases they only lodge FIR after tracing out the accused. The sacrifices given by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are not a hidden fact and the bravery of our policemen will always be written in golden words as large number of cops had been martyred in war against terrorism. However, they lack modern equipments like GSM locaters when it comes to tracing out the terrorist especially for those who involved in collecting extortion money, mobile snatchings and kidnapping for ransom. Waqar Ahmad, city police spokesman, told The Frontier Post that the tender of purchasing GSM locator was approved however, still waiting for Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Interior Ministry approval. He said, through GSM locater they easily traced out the location of culprits within hours adding that due to lack of the technology they take help of Investigation Bureau from where they got the records of cell phones which take two to three days. While answering a query DSP Waqar Ahmad informed that they purchased that technology on around 7 crore rupees, saying, they had experts for using this technology. Sources added that militants group mostly used their volunteers for collecting extortion money and through these volunteers they assassinate their victims who rejected to fulfill their demands or kidnapped these traders or others while the assailants volunteers also even not know the exact situation that why they killed the traders or someone else. During last few months, many traders and businessmen of province, including Peshawar, Nowshera, Sawabi and Mardan, received threatening calls and letters from banned groups and demanded of extortion money, however, who rejected to give the money the militants kidnapped the traders or they placed bomb near their houses. During the Ramzan in Peshawar dozens of low intensity bomb were exploded near the houses of many high profile people which not claimed lives but give signs of warning to that people. The practice is increasing with each passing day. Unconfirmed reports said that more then hundreds businessmen and traders given billion of rupees extortion money to banned groups. The mostly businessmen who gave extortion money in Peshawar were doing their business on University Road, Saddar, Ghur Mnadi, People Mandi, Ram Pura and other trading markets. Traders of Swabi were also become victim of extortionists, however, this alarming situation is calm down to some extant in that area by law enforcers but not completely. Police also arrested many such criminals who demanded of extortion money but such elements were still present in province and collecting money. According to security agencies officials, local criminals, former fighters of banned groups and present banned organizations militants were involved in such crimes. An official of Intelligence Agencies said that a local person of the area performed his duty as informer of militants and give information about their victim about his trade, location timing of coming towards home etc. Few days ago police also arrested the extortionists who earlier working for banned group of Taliban in Bajawar Agency, however, it is not cleared about the arrested men that he had the support of his bosses or not. Sources revealed that earlier, extortionists contacted with traders for money through their mobile no of Waziristan and Afghanistan local numbers but with the passage of time they started phone calls from local phone numbers and mostly they send letters to traders for demanding money. Sources further informed that the extortionists also have their workers in every city who received the demanded money from their victim. An official of intelligence agency informed that few months ago a high profile and political leader from Swabi also received such threatening calls from extortionist; however, he refused to give the money adding that after his refusal banned outfits sent two militants for his assassination. They further revealed that bosses of two volunteers told them that the political leader belong to Qadyani sect that why the volunteers become ready to killed that person, however, fortunately, police arrest the said volunteers and foiled the attack. SP City Ismail Kharak informed the Frontier Post that they arrested several extortionists red handed while they were planting the bombs and their operation is also underway to traced out such criminals, but he lamented that "whenever the extortionists demanding money from 10 traders only one or two person secretly informed the police while others did not cooperate with police". He appealed the traders and other high profiles to cooperate with police in this regards to get rid from that abuse. A trader of Peshawar said that one change was observed in the regime of present government of PTI that is "extortion money", adding that traders of the city did not hear the name of extortion money in previous government. He further said that several traders leave the city due to increasing the incidents of extortion saying that they will also leave their business in the city if such incidents will continue. He demanded of Chief Minister to take solid steps for the eradication of this abuse from the city.