KARACHI: For stamping out the culture of extortion, the government should enact a legislation to ban collection of hides, Zakat and Fitra by political parties as it enables banned terrorist outfits to generate funds illegally for terrorist activities, said Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik.
“I will personally request the president and prime minister to enact a law in this regard. Any political party should not collect alms and hides as it was not their domain and they should declare their assets gleaned through it,” Malik said while talking to media after a meeting with members of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) here Saturday.
In this connection, he said banned terrorist outfits, under different names, collect funds through 'Zakat' and hides, which were later used in criminal activities. "It must be completely banned," he contended.
Interior Minister said government had launched a massive crackdown against such miscreants and their details would soon be divulged before media. He said the business community was gravely concerned with the activities of ‘Bhatta’ Mafia who were terrorizing them every now and then. He said extortion practice is being carried out under the pretext of collecting Zakat and hides that promotes ‘Bhatta culture’.
Malik dispelled the impression that government was launching discriminative action against criminals, saying categorically “Government is going after terrorists in every part of the city, be it Lyari or any other area, without any discrimination.”
He informed that government had so far arrested 368 criminals involved in miscellaneous crimes including snatching, robbery, dacoity, abduction for ransom and others. He clarified that not all of them were target killers, saying only 12 of them were proved to be hardened criminals involved in targeted killings.
He repeated his admonitions to terrorists to refrain from demanding extortion from citizens, business community and other affluent figures, warning they would face stern action either.
Malik said the advance system for tracing out calls of extortionists have also been introduced by the government in Karachi which would certainly help in locating those criminals.
“President has given clear direction to go after all these criminals and bring them to book by all means,” he said.
Copyright PPI (Pakistan Press International), 2011
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