Sabzi Mandi: Traders complain of rise in extortion demands

Police say issue not widespread; investigations under way

KARACHI: Sabzi Mandi, spread over 100 acres, is said to be Pakistan's largest wholesale market. Located at Super Highway, the market meets the fruit and vegetable demands of Pakistan's biggest city, apart from exporting items to the rest of the country.

After a relative calm following the launch of the targeted operation in Karachi, the businessmen from Sabzi Mandi and its surrounding areas are once again being haunted by mysterious extortion calls from Afghanistan. Traders fell victim to a similar situation before in 2014, when extortion calls had become routine and every trader at Sabzi Mandi had to give some amount of money to save his life.

Haji Shaista Khan, a notable businessman of Sabzi Mandi, has restricted his movements after he started to receive calls demanding extortion from an Afghan mobile number.

"The very first time I received the call from a +93 (Afghanistan Country Code) number, I knew something is wrong," Khan told The Express Tribune, adding that he did not take it seriously initially but later when the call started to come at his son's mobile number as well he began to worry.

"With money, the extortionists are also demanding to meet in person at the Afghan border," shared Khan, mentioning that despite his countless visits to the Super Highway police check-post, officials denied registration of an FIR and only took an application.

"I am a social worker and have other activities to do, apart from my business, but after these calls I am restricted to my home," said Khan.

Super Highway Industrial Area police SHO Ismatullah Marwat commented that no such case was in his knowledge, saying he would look into the matter immediately.

"Things can get worse and other traders are worried that they might also get such calls," Falah-e-Anjuman Sabzi Mandi general-secretary Haji Rauf Tanoli told The Express Tribune.

He said many traders have come to the association regarding the extortion calls but they hesitate going to the police as they have been warned of dire consequences by the extortionists.

"The present SHO is very inactive and he takes less interest in such matters," complained Tanoli, mentioning that if the police failed to find out the culprits behind the phone calls to Khan, then the Falah-e-Anjuman Sabzi Mandi might protest and observe a strike.

"Things have been very good for past the two-three years," said Tanoli, but the fate of traders, who have invested billions of rupees, can change in a moment.

"The matter was not in my knowledge and I will inquire about this from the Super Highway police station," said Malir SSP Dr Najeeb Khan when asked to comment on the development.

Along with the traders of Sabzi Mandi, Aminuddin, a restaurant owner at Al Asif Square in Sohrab Goth, said he also received a chit containing a bullet from two motorcycle riders recently. Aminuddin told The Express Tribune that he has given an application in the local police station and is waiting for action against the culprits.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18^th, 2016.