It is our responsibility to remove the bhatta mafia, says home minister
10 police stations in Karachi need help in acting against extortionists.
KARACHI:
“The Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) stance aside, it is also our responsibility and mine as the home minister to remove the threats by extortionists,” Manzoor Wassan told the journalists at the Sindh Assembly on Friday afternoon.
The minister was on the defensive after a morning of listening to the provincial leadership of the MQM call on the government to act against the extortionists. “We have helped stop targeted and sectarian killings and we can stop this as well.”
Wassan repeated many of the things said by Inspector General of Sindh Police Mushtaq Shah, who met traders on Thursday. Wassan noted that the government had hired 800 more police officers and will add another 850 constables, who were currently being trained. He has identified 10 police stations, of 110 in Karachi, which need support to act against the extortionists. They include Bahadurabad, Pirabad, Arambagh, Manghopir and Kharadar police stations. The government established Anti-Extortion Cell which has received 15 complaints since it was established.
Wassan also offered examples of how the state of security had improved since he took over as the home minister last July.
But he was also keen to offer a historical perspective. “Extortion isn’t new. It’s been around for the past 20 to 22 years... sometimes it’s less, sometimes it increases.”
The minister said that he had wanted to present on Friday, in the Sindh Assembly, the initiatives being taken by the government to protect traders from extortion threats, but was unable to because the session was adjourned. Two extortionists, Mohammad Saeed and Mohammad Anwar, have been arrested and investigating them will help lead to whoever was behind the operation.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 17th, 2012.
“The Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) stance aside, it is also our responsibility and mine as the home minister to remove the threats by extortionists,” Manzoor Wassan told the journalists at the Sindh Assembly on Friday afternoon.
The minister was on the defensive after a morning of listening to the provincial leadership of the MQM call on the government to act against the extortionists. “We have helped stop targeted and sectarian killings and we can stop this as well.”
Wassan repeated many of the things said by Inspector General of Sindh Police Mushtaq Shah, who met traders on Thursday. Wassan noted that the government had hired 800 more police officers and will add another 850 constables, who were currently being trained. He has identified 10 police stations, of 110 in Karachi, which need support to act against the extortionists. They include Bahadurabad, Pirabad, Arambagh, Manghopir and Kharadar police stations. The government established Anti-Extortion Cell which has received 15 complaints since it was established.
Wassan also offered examples of how the state of security had improved since he took over as the home minister last July.
But he was also keen to offer a historical perspective. “Extortion isn’t new. It’s been around for the past 20 to 22 years... sometimes it’s less, sometimes it increases.”
The minister said that he had wanted to present on Friday, in the Sindh Assembly, the initiatives being taken by the government to protect traders from extortion threats, but was unable to because the session was adjourned. Two extortionists, Mohammad Saeed and Mohammad Anwar, have been arrested and investigating them will help lead to whoever was behind the operation.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 17th, 2012.