The law enforcement agencies Friday arrested two extortionists – one of them having a Masters degree in English Literature from Karachi University.
The case highlights the gap between educational attainment and employment in Pakistan, and the harsh realities of life in the country’s economic hub.
According to SSP Farooq Awan, the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of Sindh police carried out a joint operation with personnel of the Citizen’s Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) and arrested two extortion suspects from the city’s Soldier Bazaar area.
Awan said the men, who confessed to their crime during interrogation, extorted over Rs 1 million during the past year from schools, laboratories and private businesses. One of the suspects, Syed Amir Hussain says he holds a Masters degree in English Literature from Karachi University.
Hussain confessed that he turned to a life of crime after being frustrated by his inability to find a suitable job and financial pressures at home.
“I tried to find a job, but wherever I went they asked for experience, which I did not have,” Hussain told a private TV channel. “Domestic problems and my mother’s health forced me into doing this. If you ask me how I feel: I am very ashamed,” he said, reduced to tears as he spoke.
When asked what he would do after serving his jail term, Hussain said he would try his best to find a ‘respectable profession’ using his educational credentials after he is released.
