Sabzi Mandi extortion: IHC expresses dissatisfaction over joint report

Directs IGP Hayat to provide comprehensive report on October 4.

ISLAMABAD:

Unsatisfied with a report on extortion activities in Sabzi Mandi, the capital’s high court has directed the city’s police chief to provide a comprehensive report on the next hearing.

Islamabad High Court (IHC) Judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui on Wednesday directed Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sikandar Hayat to submit a comprehensive report on October 4.

The court asked the IGP to identify the real culprits that are running the extortion ring, be it politicians, Capital Development Authority (CDA) or Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) officials.

The report, jointly submitted by the police, CDA and ICT, claimed that four police officers and three CDA officers had been arrested, their cases were sent to court, and further investigation is underway.

According to the report, after being directed by the IHC, a team of police, ICT and CDA officials became vigilant and discovered that extortion had not been forcibly collected by any party. However, market unions were collecting fees for the purpose of welfare and security in the absence of an official market committee which should be formed under the ICT Agricultural Produce and Markets Ordinance (APMO).

The court was not convinced and commented that certain CDA officials had established a gang that was involved in the racket and named CDA Member Administration Munir Chaudhry, storekeeper Saadullah Khan, guard Zaheer Khan and Islamabad Police Inspector Aurangzeb among others.

According to the submitted report, the ICT chief commissioner will implement the APMO in letter and spirit and establish market committees under the ICT Ordinance. The report said these steps will ensure the elimination of extortion in the future.

The extortion case is based on a petition filed by an Afghan refugee alleging that influential traders, with the backing of police and politicians, extort money from vendors in Sabzi Mandi at gunpoint. He had alleged that vendors had lodged numerous complaints with the senior superintendent of police and the Sabzi Mandi SHO, but no action had been taken against the extortionists, forcing them to approach the court for justice.

During the last hearing, the IGP had informed the court that traders in Sabzi Mandi pay Rs5 million as extortion every month and that certain police officials are also involved.

The crime rate in Sector I-11, which houses an 8,000 thousand-strong Afghan katchi abadi, is very high when compared to other parts of the city. The CDA had decided to carry out an eviction and registration operation in January this year against illegal residents and criminals but the plan was scrapped due to “pressure from various quarters” before it could see the light of day, according to a CDA official.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19^th, 2013.