KARACHI – Peeved by extortionists’ harassment, the traders of Paposh Nagar’s Sarafa Bazaar (gold market) took to the streets on Wednesday to demand justice and protest the law enforcement agencies’ pathetic performance. The traders blocked the roads leading to the Board Office and Golimar Chowrangi. “Criminals have been threatening calls to us for the last two weeks and demanding huge sums of money,” a trader told Pakistan Today requesting anonymity. “We have repeatedly informed the police about these call, but they don’t seem to care,” he added.
He said that the extortionists opened fire at Sarafa Bazaar on Wednesday morning and damaged their shops. Another trader told Pakistan Today that two weeks back, extortionists called the traders of Sarafa Bazaar and demanded Rs 2.5 million from each of them. The traders criticised the Citizen Liaison Police Committee (CPLC) for failing to perform its functions properly, saying that they have provided the extortionists’ cell phone numbers to the committee, but no response has been seen so far.
Later, MNA Rehan Zafar joined the protest and demanded that the provincial government should take stern action against the criminals harassing the traders. A large number of law enforcers reached the spot and negotiated with the traders. The protesters finally dispersed on Zafar’s request and the police’s assurance that the action would be taken against the extortionists. Later, the representatives of Sarafa Bazaar visited the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) to inform its office-bearers about their difficulties.
