- MQM-P seeks intelligence-based security in business districts.
- Builders warn construction halt amid extortion threats.
- Extortion contacting victims from Iranian phone numbers: Bakshi.
Karachi businessmen have sought strict action against what they describe as foreign-based gangs involved in an organised extortion network, warning that the worsening situation is threatening investment and economic activity in the metropolis.
Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, Mohammed Hassan Bakshi, Chairman of the Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (Abad), said businessmen initially received extortion chits, followed by threatening phone calls, after which their offices were fired upon.
He said the violence later escalated into direct attacks in which some people were martyred, and that Pakistani authorities had been informed about these incidents.
Bakshi said the extortionists have now entered what he termed a “second level,” claiming they are contacting victims from Iranian phone numbers.
He said callers tell builders they can continue construction work while paying extortion money in instalments over four years, adding that Bitcoin is also being offered as a method for transferring funds.
He said the extortionists appear confident that they will not be touched for years, unlike ordinary criminals who act quickly and disappear. He questioned why Red Warrants were not being issued, alleging that five or six individuals linked to the Lyari Gang War had made life unbearable for businessmen.
Bakshi said he had records of only 10 reported cases but believed that between 25 and 40 Abad members were regularly paying extortion money, while countless small traders in older areas were also being forced to comply.
Citing Chamber of Commerce President Muhammad Rehan Hanif, he said extortionists even provide Pakistani bank accounts for shopkeepers to deposit money, while larger businessmen are asked for Bitcoin transfers or cash collection through associates.
He said Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had assured him that he would speak to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on the matter. Bakshi added that extortion was not limited to large businessmen and that shopkeepers were also being targeted.
Calling security a constitutional right, he warned that no one would invest in such an environment and said Karachi’s role as the country’s economic engine was being undermined. He said the problem was confined to Karachi and not seen in cities like Islamabad or Lahore.
A day earlier, the business community warned that they will shut down their business activity after January 15, 2026, if authorities fail to address the growing extortion cases.
Separately, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) lawmaker Taha Ahmed Khan has written a letter to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, urging immediate and effective measures to protect the business community against the growing extortion incidents in Karachi.
In the letter, Khan said extortion has become a grave threat to the confidence of the business community and overall economic activity, warning that it could severely damage Karachi’s economy.
He termed the builders’ and developers’ warnings to halt construction activities alarming, saying that the business community is not seeking concessions but protection and enforcement of the rule of law.
The MQM-P lawmaker called for the inclusion of Karachi’s elected representatives in law-and-order policymaking, expedited implementation of the Safe City Karachi project, and intelligence-based security measures in commercial and industrial areas.
