KARACHI: The kidnapping of Karachi Cable owner Shamsul Rehman alias Abdul Khaliq by alleged members of a Lyari gang led shopkeepers in the Shershah scrap market to protest on Friday.
Shops in the market were shut down as shopkeepers marched towards Miran Naka. Witnesses claim that two men forcibly took Khaliq away in an ambulance towards Lyari.
The protesters claimed that Lyari’s Mullah Raju group was behind the kidnapping and had informed the police. Khaliq’s relatives said that the kidnappers had called and demanded a ransom but they did not disclose the amount.
Shopkeepers claim that Khaliq had been abducted because he had refused to pay the gangster. “The government and law enforcement agencies are responsible for whatever is happening,” said shopkeeper Abdul Samad. “If we had interfered no doubt we would have been killed with their latest weapons or their accomplices.”
The protesters chanted slogans against the authorities and gangsters. They accused the government and the authorities of not taking action against the criminals. They claimed that although an extra contingent of law enforcers had been deputed in the area for their protection, security measures had not been tightened recently. “Is it necessary for 10 people to be killed before the authorities deploy more security personnel?” said the protesters. “There are a thousand people who are afraid yet working in this market, nobody cares about them.”
A heavy contingent of rangers and the police were sent to the market and remained on high alert throughout the day.
While talking to The Express Tribune, SHO Abdul Mohid said that the suspects had used an ambulance with the Edhi logo on it. He said that none of the traders had informed the police about extortion threats or the ransom call. The SHO added that the police was trying to locate Khaliq’s and the suspects’ whereabouts. Edhi official Anwar Kazmi told The Express Tribune that they had checked and verified their ambulances and none of their vehicles had been stolen or been near Shershah market. “This is a conspiracy to tarnish Edhi’s name, the witnesses claim that the ambulance had the Edhi logo on it but the details they gave were incorrect,” he said.
No case had been registered when this report was filed.
Meanwhile, Khadda Market gutka retailer Ahmed Zikria was found within the limits of the Baghdadi police station. He said that he had been abducted by the extortion mafia for being unable to pay Rs500 per week. Zikria said that his kidnappers had tortured him and kept him in a torture cell. DSP Pervez Iqbal Bhatti said that the suspects Saqib Baloch, Norus Baloch, Rafiq Memon and Waqas Memon were also gutka retailers and were involved in a business dispute with Zikria. He added that a case had been registered against the suspects.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 10th, 2011.
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It has been pointed out time and again that Gangs are involved in karachi's unrest. why aurthorities dont give it a thought and book the culprits. Yes Karachi is a jungle of people but its not Vietnam or Afghanistan where culprits are hard to catch. Authorities should call an explanation from the concerned Police Station for not controlling crimes.