ISLAMABAD: The chief minister of Sindh on Thursday warned his government would take stern action against land grabbing and extortion a day after a prominent builders association warned the illegal practices were on the rise in Karachi, Pakistan’s commercial hub. 

The Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD), a representative organization of private builders and developers in Pakistan, held a press conference in Karachi on Wednesday to warn that extortion and land grabbing activities were on the rise in the city. 

ABAD Chairman Muhammad Hassan Bakhshi said at least 10 members of the association had received extortion calls over the past five months which demanded a total of Rs50 million [$178,000]. He said extortion calls were being made to builders from numbers based in Dubai and Iran. 

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and a high-level delegation, including the provincial home minister, Karachi mayor, Karachi commissioner and chief secretary of the province, met an ABAD delegation led by Bakhshi. 

“I have given clear instructions to the police to take immediate action on ABAD’s complaints,” Shah was quoted as saying by the Chief Minister’s Office. 

The statement said Shah listened to ABAD’s press conference on Wednesday and felt the matter should have been brought directly to him, instead of being raised in the media. 

“Under no circumstances can encroachment on land be permitted,” Shah said. “Clear instructions have already been issued to divisional and district administrations that I will not tolerate illegal occupation of land in any form.”

ABAD expressed its desire to work with the government in eliminating encroachments on lands owned by its members. During the meeting, the builders’ delegation handed over copies of extortion slips that they had received, along with the telephone numbers of those allegedly sending them from abroad.

ABAD’s leadership informed the meeting that about 10 cases of extortion had surfaced over the past year. Karachi police briefed the delegation on the progress made in those cases so far. 

“Police launched an extensive operation and arrested 50 extortionists and sent them to jail,” Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar said, adding that six criminals had been killed in police encounters.

Shah, meanwhile, vowed that Sindh would take action with the help of the federal government against those orchestrating such extortion calls from abroad

“We have decided, with the support of the federal government, to proceed against those who sit abroad and make extortion calls,” he said. “We had earlier eliminated extortionists from this city, and we will once again bring them to justice.”

Karachi has had a history of political violence, where traders and members have frequently complained in the past of being extorted. 

The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) issued an urgent security advisory to its members in October citing a sharp uptick in extortion threats. It warned traders to install CCTV systems as cases of intimidation and violence rise across the city.