Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar announced on Friday that the provincial government is developing an online portal to let traders register complaints about extortion and related crimes in Karachi — complaints that, he said, will trigger immediate police action and FIR registration. According to a report by Dawn News.
Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Police Office, flanked by Sindh IG Ghulam Nabi Memon and Karachi Additional IG Javed Alam Odho, Lanjar said any complaint submitted through the portal — including extortion slips or threats — will lead to the prompt filing of a first information report and full legal steps against those responsible.
Additional IG Odho said the portal responds to traders’ “inconveniences” when visiting police stations to lodge FIRs, and both he and Lanjar stressed that protecting the business community and ensuring a safe, free business environment are top provincial priorities.
Lanjar described extortion as a growing concern and said Special Investigation Unit/Crime Investigation Agency (SIU/CIA) teams and district police are conducting coordinated operations to uproot the crime. He named Wasiullah Lakho and Samad Kathiawari as extortion gang operatives currently based in Iran, adding that red-warrant requests have been sent and the Sindh government will seek federal interior ministry assistance to secure their arrests.
The home minister also noted that recent operations have resulted in the deaths of four extortionists and that the SIU/CIA and district police remain committed to eliminating groups distributing extortion slips or intimidating traders and citizens.
Additional IG Odho added that police arrested 20 suspected extortionists in the past two weeks, reiterated a goal of zero extortion in the city, and recalled recent successes in curbing targeted killings.
Citing police crime data, authorities said 118 incidents of extortion have been reported in Karachi so far this year; of these, 44 were classified as genuine extortion cases and 39 of those 44 were “solved,” a success ratio reported as 87 per cent.
Officials also pointed to a notable reduction in street crimes compared with last year: “As of 2024, 252 incidents of street crimes were being reported daily, but this year only 167 incidents have been reported,” the statement said, adding that the decline is a 52pc reduction.
Lanjar concluded by urging public cooperation to help curb extortion and reiterated the provincial government’s commitment to a business-friendly, peaceful environment that promotes economic activity.
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