Pakistan: Peshawar takes the lead in reported cases of extortion

The Express Tribune

It usually starts like an action thriller right out of Hollywood. A mysterious letter or phone call is made. A demand, deadline and place to drop off the money are set. If the instructions are not followed, then warnings are sent, usually in the form of a grenade attack or worse. Like militancy and kidnapping for ransom cases, Peshawar holds the top slot for highest number of reported extortion cases in the province in 2013.

According to police records, around 60 cases of extortion were reported in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa last year out of which 22 were from Peshawar, nine from Lakki Marwat and seven from Charsadda. Swabi and DI Khan came in fourth with six reported cases, Bannu had four, Mardan had two cases of extortion while Chitral, Haripur, Nowshera and Swat had one each. The real number of extortion cases, however, is at least five times higher than the reported ones as in many cases the police does not file an FIR.

A high-ranking official told The Express Tribune last year 39 houses were damaged in low-intensity blasts carried out by extortionists while in the first three months of the current year there have already been 12 such attacks.

He said around eight FIRs had been registered in the city for extortion and earlier in March two extortionists had been arrested from Hayatabad for demanding money from a Hangu-based trader living in Danishabad, Pishtakhara. What is really worrying, he said, is the fact that small time criminals have mastered the art of making a bomb and are now busy extorting money from wealthy people.

Last year, the federal government issued a list of groups actively involved in extortion in the province. According to that list, 18 of the groups identified by intelligence agencies, operate in Peshawar and collect money from the city’s residents. The police, however, believe that the exact number of gangs cannot be determined. Fighting back

Last year in Charsadda when extortionists stole a businessman’s vehicle and attacked his house on several occasions, he was enterprising enough to build a protection tower. He mans it himself during the night and has hired a guard for the day.

Muhammad, a school owner, thought of a similar solution.

In an earlier news report he said while he would keep his resolve against such threats, he would be forced to take up arms for “self-defence” if the police failed to arrest the culprits.