Coercion tactics: Extortionists using Taliban’s name for cover, says PHC CJ

Petitioner’s counsel argues any person can purchase a SIM card under someone else’s name.

PESHAWAR:

Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan on Monday said many criminal gangs were involved in extortion and were using the name of Taliban for cover.

During the hearing of a bail application of a man accused of extorting money from a doctor, Justice Khan said the gangs were sending letters to people using Taliban’s name and collecting millions of rupees as a result.

The accused, Nadeem Hussain, was arrested after he reportedly dropped a letter at a doctor’s clinic in Shawa Adda, Swabi, asking for Rs5 million. The letter also threatened the doctor of serious consequences if he reported it to the police.



The petitioner’s lawyer, Khwaja Muhammad Khan Gara, informed the bench his client was arrested for allegedly taking money from Dr Manzoor Hussain and dropping off a letter on June 24 using the name of a banned group. The police traced the number written on the letter and learnt the number was registered on the name of the accused.

Gara added the lower court had rejected the bail application of the accused, but left some legal clauses in the case, including Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. He said his client belonged to an educated family and would never to do commit such an act. The reference to the Anti-Terrorism Act in the case is not based on legal grounds, he argued.

The lawyer said anybody could purchase a SIM card on another person’s identity card, and contended his client does not own the mobile number given in the letter. The PHC has already taken suo motu notice on the use of illegal SIMs in the province and has directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and others to submit a report.

After hearing the arguments, the court accepted the bail application of the accused. The court also directed the government to block all illegal SIMs in the country along with roaming facilities of SIM cards issued by Afghanistan-based companies within 15 days.

The PHC took suo motu notice of the said case on September 24 and ordered stern action be taken against the use of illegal SIMs. In the previous hearing, the court also issued bailable arrest warrants for chief executive officers of cellular companies in the country for not appearing before the court.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 15^th, 2013.