
At least 42 groups are actively involved in extortion and kidnappings for ransom in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. PHOTO: FILE
At least 42 groups are actively involved in extortion and kidnappings for ransom in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), states a confidential report shared with the provincial government by its federal counterpart.
The report, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, adds 30 such groups also exist in the southern port city of Karachi.
The menace of kidnapping for ransom as well as demanding extortion has spread throughout the country. However, it has particularly gripped Karachi and K-P in the past few months, becoming a major source of income for militant groups, the report stated.

According to the official document, three types of groups are involved in kidnapping for ransom and demanding extortion – militants, criminal gangs and individuals or groups who use abduction as means to settle their business or personal disputes with opponents.
“Following abduction, the kidnappers hand their victims over to other groups to make the demand for ransom. In most cases, trained gang members are used to survey the intended target before kidnapping them at gunpoint,” claimed the report. “Sometimes police officials, other criminals or influential people are used to finalise the payment of the ransom with the target’s families,” it added.
Furthermore, such groups adopt an array of methods for extortion, such as calling up the target from unregistered/Afghan SIMs or wireless phones from Miranshah in North Waziristan, Khyber Agency or Kurram Agency.
The groups also use letterheads of militants, and if they fail to get the target to comply, they harass them by planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs) near their houses.

The report reveals in a majority of cases the victims prefer to not report the harassment to the police as they wish to avoid a confrontation with militants.
“In the provincial capital, the number of such groups stands at 18, followed by 11 in DI Khan, five in Kohat, five in Bannu and three in Mardan,” it explained, adding of the 30 groups identified in Karachi, some are affiliated with mainstream political parties.
Additionally, the report directs the administrations of all four provinces to try those accused of extortion and kidnappings under the recently passed Fair Trial Act which empowers intelligence and law enforcement agencies to intercept private communications in order to nab suspected terrorists.
The report also instructs law enforcement agencies and political administrations in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) to monitor and keep a check on suspicious activities.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 7th,2013.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ