Karachi —Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar announced that a dedicated web portal is being developed to help traders and business owners easily report cases of extortion and other crimes without having to visit police stations.
Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Police Office, Lanjar said the portal will ensure immediate action on all complaints received, adding that “police will take swift and transparent measures to address every report.”
The press conference was also attended by Sindh Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon and Karachi Additional IG Javed Alam Odho.
Lanjar stated that if a trader receives an extortion slip or threat and reports it through the portal, an FIR will be registered immediately, and legal action will follow.
Additional IG Odho explained that the initiative aims to resolve a longstanding issue:
“Many traders faced difficulties visiting police stations to register FIRs. This digital system will remove that hurdle.”
The home minister emphasized that protecting the business community and ensuring a secure and open trading environment remain top priorities for the Sindh government.
He noted that extortion had become a serious concern in recent months, particularly in Karachi — Pakistan’s economic hub — and said the government was determined to restore traders’ confidence through security reforms and better policing.
Lanjar added that although the issue had been “overstated in some quarters,” the Special Investigation Unit (SIU), Crime Investigation Agency (CIA), and district police were conducting targeted operations to eliminate such crimes.
He revealed that gangs led by Wasiullah Lakhoor and Samad Kathiawari were allegedly operating extortion networks from Iran, and red notices had been requested through Interpol for their arrest. The Sindh government, he said, would also seek cooperation from the federal interior ministry to apprehend those involved in these serious offenses.
“Extortion in a city like Karachi is a grave and sensitive matter,” Lanjar said. “The provincial government is fully committed to maintaining a business-friendly atmosphere to promote economic activity — but public cooperation is essential to end this menace.”
He further shared that recent police operations had resulted in four extortionists being killed, all linked to the Lakho and Kathiawari groups.
“The government will not allow any criminal group to intimidate citizens or distribute extortion slips,” he added.
According to Additional IG Odho, 20 suspected extortionists were arrested over the past two weeks. He reiterated that police had also brought targeted killings under control and were working to eliminate all remaining extortion networks.
A police crime data report released on Wednesday showed that 118 extortion-related incidents were reported in Karachi so far in 2025 — out of which only 44 were genuine cases, while the rest stemmed from personal or business disputes. Of these 44 cases, 39 have been solved, police said.
The same report highlighted a 52% drop in street crime compared to last year — from 252 daily incidents in 2024 to 167 per day in 2025.
