Karachi builders threaten shutdown, sit-in over alleged extortion calls

Karachi’s builders and developers on Wednesday threatened to shut down their businesses and stage a sit-in outside Sindh Chief Minister’s House, alleging that they had been receiving extortion calls from foreign numbers, including those traced to Dubai and Iran, with the callers demanding millions of rupees.

“Over the last five months, at least ten members of the Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (ABAD) have received extortion calls, with demands totaling Rs5 billion and all the call were being made from Dubai and Iranian numbers,” ABAD chairman Muhammad Hassan Bakshi said while addressing a press conference.

“The extortionists issue written slips and if the recipients refuse to accept them, they resort to indiscriminate firing at our business sites,” Bakshi added.

“The extortionists even write their names, phone numbers, and bank account details on the slips, yet no action has been taken against them,” he maintained.

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ABAD chairman lamented that incidents of extortion in Karachi had increased to an alarming level, with builders, developers and the business community being systematically harassed.

“Extortionists and the land-grab mafia have effectively taken Pakistan’s economic engine into hostage. These elements are allegedly backed by Fitna-al-Khawarij.”

He said the lives and the property of builders and businessmen were under serious threat as extortionists were making demands through calls from Dubai and Iranian numbers.

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“If red warrants are not issued against these extortionists and no action is taken, options such as shutting down businesses and staging sit-ins Chief Minister House will be considered,” ABAD chairman warned.

Questioning the Safe City project, Bakshi said Safe City cameras had been installed across the city but no extortionists got arrested. Safe City cameras should also be used to reduce crime in the city, rather only for traffic e-challans, he maintained.

“There is a limit to oppression, but Karachi’s situation has gone beyond that limit.”

Meanwhile, referring to raids by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), ABAD chairman alleged that FBR officials conduct raids on builders’ offices, seize all files and keep them for months, demanding bribes worth millions of rupees in return.

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ABAD’s Patron-in-Chief Mohsin Sheikhani said the association ran 72 industries of the country and the assets of builders were entirely at risk.

“Calls are received from Iran, threats are issued, information is demanded, and when responses are not given, firing begins,” he said.