Sindh minister declares zero tolerance for extortion in Karachi

KARACHI: Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar on Friday acknowledged a resurgence of extortion threats in Karachi, assuring that the government would not allow criminals to intimidate traders or disrupt the city’s commercial activity.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Lanjar said that some traders had received threats for refusing to pay extortion money, adding that the government wanted business to thrive.

“We will not permit anyone to intimidate citizens or businessmen,” he asserted.

The minister revealed that four suspects involved in extortion were killed in police encounters, while three others were arrested in an injured condition during ongoing operations.

On the occasion, Additional Inspector General (AIG) Karachi Javed Alam Odho said that CIA and SIU units had arrested more than 20 extortionists in the past two weeks.

He added that 118 cases of extortion were reported this year, of which 44 stemmed from personal disputes.

Odho said police had arrested 43 extortionists over the past year and continued pursuing those involved in the killing of police officials.

He further shared that street crime in Karachi had fallen by 28%, while vehicle-snatching incidents declined by 19%, attributing the improvement to enhanced policing and intelligence-based operations.