Two MQM ‘men’ nabbed in Lahore for demanding extortion money

LAHORE: After a lapse of 54 days, Shahdara police Thursday registered a case and arrested two out of the four ‘members’ of the MQM for threatening and demanding extortion money from a citizen. 

The complainant Shabbir Khan informed the police that he rents out ‘charpoys’ to the people who come from other districts and runs small businesses in Sasta bazaars. On May 6, 2016, he was on his way when Sh Iftikhar Hussain and Sh Imtiaz Hussain along with two accomplices approached him at Pindi Das Road Shahdara, and asked him to start paying Rs2,000 to them as extortion money every week. 

Shabbir visited the Shahdara Police Station and informed the police about the incident. Shahdara Town SHO refused to believe his story and kicked him out of the police station. The complainant tried to contact the DSP but he also did the same thing. 

Shabbir did not try to approach the SP concerned intentionally as he had already undergone bitter experience twice at the hands of two police officers. The poor man approached the court of law, upon which Shahdara police registered a case on 29.6.16 and arrested Sh Iftikhar Hussain and Sh Imtiaz Hussain, who claimed to be the members of the MQM. Police also made raids for the arrest of their two accomplices. 

When contacted, inspector Zulfiqar Ali said that Shahdara police had registered a case (no 1216/2016) against four persons under sections 384 and 385 PPC. The DIG Operations’ spokesman said the Lahore police showed zero tolerance for extortion and took immediate action against such elements. He said on the directions of DIG Operations, the Lahore police not only took immediate action against the criminals but also arrested them without any delay.