The extortion epidemic: Running a clinic can be hazardous to your life

Police suspect that militants are behind the attacks, but have been unable to make arrests.


Faraz Khan November 01, 2013
Police suspect that militants are behind the attacks, but have been unable to make arrests.

KARACHI:


The Khatri Clinic in Gulistan-e-Jauhar hasn’t opened for business since the night it was attacked by extortionists on October 3. While people of the area have their eyes glued to the doors of the clinic which offered them cheap yet effective treatment, the doctor and owner have gone into hiding and have no plans of putting their lives at risk again.


Dr NL Khatri, who was running his clinic for the past ten years in Gulistan-e-Jauhar’s Abdullah Goth, was asked to pay Rs1 million as extortion — an amount too exorbitant for the doctor, said his neighbouring shopkeeper. “How can I come up with such an amount by running a small clinic in a slum? My only option is to close the clinic. If they can target my business, they can also target me,” the shopkeeper quoted the doctor.



Residents, however, are hoping that the threats of extortion won’t drive the doctor away for good. “The broken walls, damaged roof and shutters at the clinic do not let us forget that night,” said Nadir Ali, a regular visitor of the clinic. “Dr Khatri was more than a doctor to us — he was also a good man. We were happy with his treatment but now have to look elsewhere.”

With almost a month gone by, the police are still carrying on their search for the attackers, who they suspect were militants. “We are close to catching the extortionists and soon, residents will hear the good news about the clinic reopening,” said the investigating officer, Fareeduddin Chishti.

One of many

October was also a bad month for a private maternity home in Old Muzaffarabad Colony of Landhi, the area notorious for the presence of militants. It was attacked on October 13, for reportedly not paying Rs2million as extortion, with an explosive device which killed a woman and injured six people, including children.

The hospital remained closed for two weeks but reopened on October 29 after paying the extortion money, a source told The Express Tribune. “The extortionists attacked the hospital within two days of their demand, before the negotiations could even begin,” said the official on the condition of anonymity. The police suspect militants to be behind this attack as well. “We believe that the militants have escaped to Gulshan-e-Bunair in Landhi,” investigating officer, Nazar Mangrio, told The Express Tribune. “It is hard for us to track them down but not impossible.”

An alarming trend

Besides the Khatri clinic and maternity home, several other medical establishments have been attacked recently over failure to pay extortion. On January 5, 2012, a medical store in SITE area owned by Awami National Party’s PS-93 president, Zakir Hanif, was targeted for payment of Rs2 million as extortion money.

Two alleged extortionists were wounded in August 2012 while planning to throw an explosive at the Rahim Hospital in Gulberg over extortion.

On September 1, 2013 armed men attacked a private medical clinic in Bhens Colony, Shah Latif, killing four people, including Dr Ghulam Sarwar Dahiri’s son. Three people were wounded. The same day, gunmen attacked a homeopathic clinic in Landhi, killing Dr Syed Tahir Hussain.

Police officials believe that all the attacks were threats to pay extortion by different groups of extortionist mafia, including the outlawed Taliban. “They (doctors) are educated and noble people - making them soft targets for extortionists,” said chief of the Special Investigation Unit, SP Farooq Awan.

Due to the increasing number of attacks along with lack of breakthroughs in the police’s investigation, many doctors are packing up their business from Karachi.  “Almost every fifth doctor receives threatening calls for money but most of them do not complain and pay the extortion money. Police always has the same lame excuses when cases are reported,” said Pakistan Orthopedics Association’s president, Dr Pervaiz Anjum. On an average, said Dr Anjum, over 100 complaints of extortion were registered with the association in 2013.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2013.

COMMENTS (1)

Saleem | 10 years ago | Reply

When you can have negotiations with murderers and terrorists why not negotiate with extortionists. They have not killed people.

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