LAHORE: Criminals have demanded extortion from traders in Punjab by posing themselves as Taliban.
According to sources, two men on a motorbike were delivered an envelope to the home of a trader Mian Faisal, a resident of Staff Colony Lahore, and demanded worth millions.
Mian Faisal told MM News over the telephone that he was the chairman of Lahore Chamber of Commerce Vegetable and Fruit Standing Committee and a business leader received life threats by the criminals who were pretended as Taliban.
The envelope the criminals threw inside Faisal’s home was an extortion slip from the extortion mafia threatening to kill him by putting a bullet in it. The slip stated, “Rs. 20 million is our right. It has been said that you earn a lot of profit every year and we also get a share in this profit.” The criminals threatened dire consequences if he went to the police or failed to pay up.
On the other hand, police have registered a case under Section 384 against the unidentified criminals. Police officials said the slip-throwers are being traced and the culprits will be arrested soon.
A police official said that traders had been snared by criminals exploiting the terrifying reputation of the Pakistani Taliban to extort money from rich businessmen in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
He informed that members of the business community regularly receive extortion demands and last month a property dealer in the city who refused to pay a demand found explosives hanging from the door of his shop.
The police official said the security agencies confirmed that the signature on the letter sent to Faisal was faked and did not resemble that of Taliban style in any way.
He said, “Such criminal networks are often operated from Afghanistan with the connivance of local people. We will work day and night to bring this group to justice.” he added.
