Plagued by extortion

It is a shame that political parties have turned a blind eye to the rampant killings in Karachi, the most recent bout of which has left over a 100 people dead in the past week. An investigative report in this newspaper into the Shershah market massacre makes a pressing case that they were related to a massive extortion racket that various local mafias control and fight each other for. The report asserts that the killings were financially, rather than politically motivated. This given credence by the fact that the attackers involved had no “proper” political affiliations. However, political parties, even when not directly involved, can have links through connections with mafia and underworld elements. And they need to cut these ties and not tolerate those within their ranks who have such links.

The sums involved in this racket are huge — The Express Tribune report conservatively estimates Rs 24 million in extortion, a month from the Shershah market alone. One has to wonder where all this money goes, other than to enrich those involved in the mafias, and one answer could be that it is siphoned off to fund political actors and parties. In this, the various groupings vying for power in society need to take the lead and try and raise funds through legitimate means rather than holding hostage of a city of over 15 million people. They must stop shielding, if that is the case, local ringleaders at the expense of ordinary citizens and strive to put an end to the extortion racket.

On the other hand, the police force, which claims that political interference prevents it from taking action, is not without blame either. The force is heavily politicised and the public perception by and large is that it acts only if ordered to by the political leadership — or if bribed — and this culture of corruption also needs to end.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2010.