Gang of extortionists vandalises restaurant

Owner afraid to file a report; says extortionists have 'police backing'

KARACHI:

Alleged extortionists stormed and vandalised a restaurant, threatening hotel owners and employees with dire consequences in Bilawal Village in Scheme-33. Police refused to register a case without permission of higher authorities. Sources said, over half a dozen people attacked the restaurant adjacent to Makhdoom Bilawal Village Society, within the limits of Sachal police on Sunday midnight.

The suspects vandalised the restaurant and tortured the employees besides subjecting the brother of the restaurant owner to torture. The suspects also threatened the restaurant guests with dire consequences.

Owner Ghulam Akbar told The Express Tribune that he was a civil engineer and after living abroad for more than 15 years, he recently came back and launched his own business. However, the operatives of the land and extortion mafia began to harass him. He said that often gunmen would come to his restaurant and threatened customers and employees.

Akbar said the gunmen were demanding a monthly extortion of Rs50,000, which he refused to pay. Later, the armed men set up a pan cabin in front of his restaurant, from which they received Rs1,000 per day. When Akbar removed the cabin, the head of the extortion mafia, along with his workers, attacked the restaurant. He said that the extortion mafia operatives have the patronage of a police officer and a builder.

The people of the extortion mafia not only receiving extortion from the entire area but they have also been involved in other serious crimes including land grabbing. He said that on Sunday night, Wasim Khan, Ashfaq Abbasi, Mehboob Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Mansoor Abbasi and others attacked his restaurant. Armed assailants opened fire as they repeatedly called the restaurant owner.

He said that when he intimated the police helpline, Madadgar 15, the police immediately rushed to the spot but the attackers had fled by then.

When the restaurant owner arrived at the police station to report the incident and showed the SHO the mobile footage of the whole incident, the SHO, while receiving the application, told him that the case could not be registered without the orders from the SSP East.

The owner of the restaurant alleged that the extortionists had the patronage of the area police because whenever they visited his restaurant, a police mobile accompanied them and waited at some distance.

He demanded the Sindh chief minister, IGP and Additional IG Karachi to protect him and his family from criminals and take stern action against those who are bent upon destroying his restaurant business.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2021.