Blackwater
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Among other vices that our country is facing, kidnapping for ransom has become the most lucrative industry in Pakistan. A number of people have been kidnapped and the kidnappers have earned a fortune in the form of ransom. 
Earlier it started from 'Bhatta' that is asking for money from shop keepers, businessmen and industrialists with warning of dire consequences if demands were not fulfilled. This was started by political parties and other groups that were known to the people for their hooliganism and terror. Ironically, the law enforcing agencies were also involved in the facilitation of this process. Lodging a complaint against this harassment was therefore of no benefit. Then a network of groups were formed, many were connected with law enforcing agencies and even to the ministers. These groups are organised and trained. They follow certain directions, remain abide by gang rules and distribute the alms among the chain of people with honesty. Any violation in rules would jeopardize the existence of such individuals in the gang. The mode of operation would begin by research targeting people who would be able to pay from one hundred thousand to crores of rupees. They would spy subtly about the movements of these individuals, their daily routines and favourite places of visit. Many gang members are young individuals who are unemployed or frustrated with their financial situations and want to become very rich in the shortest time period. Apart from research, there are personal recommendations by the individual gang members who are friendly with potential targets. Good friends of those targets also provide information and facilitate the kidnapping in return for monetary gains. Once the home work is completed, plan to execute the kidnapping is put in place. The victims are abducted under gun point, blind folded and taken to an unknown place. Hide outs are either in remote rural areas, residence in a posh locality or in the heart of city that is densely populated. These victims are kept in chains, brutally tortured and intimidated. The worst psychological torture that they are exposed to is in the form of 'mock execution'. The family is then contacted and a huge sum of money is demanded. Bargaining over the next several days with the family usually results in some agreement. They are threatened of dire consequences if they do not fulfill the demand or contact police. In many cases the victims are either tortured to death or killed. Those victims who are released suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder which is a serious and disabling mental disorder. Many families purse their lips and do not let the police or CPLC know about their predicament. In Karachi alone the cases reported by police or CPLC are only tip of the iceberg as majority of the cases are unreported. Many victims and their families never discuss this incident to anyone forever. Some of the cases were recorded through personal communication by the writer. A professor from a private university in Karachi was kidnapped on route to his workplace, he along with another business man were kept in a house in the outskirts of the city, and a huge sum of money was demanded for his release. This professor worked with the Pakistani Army before joining the private university. Luckily he was able to escape with the help of the local residents and reached home safely. He is living in an army residence in Karachi but receiving constant threats on the phone that though he was lucky to escape, he would have to pay the ransom. Ironically he is still not safe to go out of his residence despite the Army protocol.
Another elderly gentleman who was recently kidnapped and was finally released after payment of Rs 25 Lakhs. Upon release he narrated a harrowing tale of the circumstances that he had encountered while in captivity. This elderly man was beaten severely and was tortured mentally. He failed to understand why the kidnappers were subjecting him to torture despite a smooth negotiation with his son in terms of ransom money. Another five families shared their predicament when their loved ones were kidnapped and released after payments of heavy ransom amounts. Those victims are still living under fear and mental agony that has taken its toll on their mental as well as physical health. Recently the CPLC was able to rescue an American citizen of Pakistani origin who was kidnapped for ransom. It appears that the foreign visitors are attractive targets for these kidnappers. This young gentleman gave a description of the violent attitude of his kidnappers. I believe he would never visit Pakistan again. In the recent past a child was kidnapped in Pakistan who had a British nationality and the ransom was paid in Switzerland. Luckily the law enforcing agencies were able to track down the gang involved. In a number of cases, close friends and relatives were involved in perpetrating this crime. I cannot forget the incident of a 12 year old boy "Asif Bhoja" who was kidnapped from his school, the kidnappers probably received the ransom, released the boy near Saddar and as soon as he got off the motorbike of his kidnapper, he was shot in the head. One cannot understand the dynamics of this brutality and inhuman conduct. Some kidnappers aim at not only kidnapping for ransom, but after accomplishing their task they also eliminate the poor victims and throw their bodies on the streets or isolated places.
A doctor with a mediocre income in a charitable clinic was threatened of kidnapping and subsequent killing if he would not pay Rs 5 lakh. When the doctor expressed his inability to fulfill this demand he was informed that the potential kidnappers knew all about his whereabouts, details about his school going children, and how they would kidnap the children if their requirement was not fulfilled. The poor doctor had to borrow money to pay the ransom.
There is another category of kidnapping and this comes under the category of "missing persons" who disappear all of a sudden and no clue is found. Their families are never contacted and no information about the missing people is available to the family who run from pillar to post to locate their loved ones. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan has recently taken notice of such missing persons and asked the law enforcing agencies to recover them. One wonders; who kidnapped those people? The international media suspects' agencies or secret services for this act and do not understand the motive behind such an act. Who is going to tell the nation about these victims and who is going to eliminate the booming industry of kidnapping? The voice of the nation is echoing back without any impact. Is this nation going to enjoy a decent, stress free, and secure living any day at all?
Kidnapping: a booming industry | Business Recorder
Earlier it started from 'Bhatta' that is asking for money from shop keepers, businessmen and industrialists with warning of dire consequences if demands were not fulfilled. This was started by political parties and other groups that were known to the people for their hooliganism and terror. Ironically, the law enforcing agencies were also involved in the facilitation of this process. Lodging a complaint against this harassment was therefore of no benefit. Then a network of groups were formed, many were connected with law enforcing agencies and even to the ministers. These groups are organised and trained. They follow certain directions, remain abide by gang rules and distribute the alms among the chain of people with honesty. Any violation in rules would jeopardize the existence of such individuals in the gang. The mode of operation would begin by research targeting people who would be able to pay from one hundred thousand to crores of rupees. They would spy subtly about the movements of these individuals, their daily routines and favourite places of visit. Many gang members are young individuals who are unemployed or frustrated with their financial situations and want to become very rich in the shortest time period. Apart from research, there are personal recommendations by the individual gang members who are friendly with potential targets. Good friends of those targets also provide information and facilitate the kidnapping in return for monetary gains. Once the home work is completed, plan to execute the kidnapping is put in place. The victims are abducted under gun point, blind folded and taken to an unknown place. Hide outs are either in remote rural areas, residence in a posh locality or in the heart of city that is densely populated. These victims are kept in chains, brutally tortured and intimidated. The worst psychological torture that they are exposed to is in the form of 'mock execution'. The family is then contacted and a huge sum of money is demanded. Bargaining over the next several days with the family usually results in some agreement. They are threatened of dire consequences if they do not fulfill the demand or contact police. In many cases the victims are either tortured to death or killed. Those victims who are released suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder which is a serious and disabling mental disorder. Many families purse their lips and do not let the police or CPLC know about their predicament. In Karachi alone the cases reported by police or CPLC are only tip of the iceberg as majority of the cases are unreported. Many victims and their families never discuss this incident to anyone forever. Some of the cases were recorded through personal communication by the writer. A professor from a private university in Karachi was kidnapped on route to his workplace, he along with another business man were kept in a house in the outskirts of the city, and a huge sum of money was demanded for his release. This professor worked with the Pakistani Army before joining the private university. Luckily he was able to escape with the help of the local residents and reached home safely. He is living in an army residence in Karachi but receiving constant threats on the phone that though he was lucky to escape, he would have to pay the ransom. Ironically he is still not safe to go out of his residence despite the Army protocol.
Another elderly gentleman who was recently kidnapped and was finally released after payment of Rs 25 Lakhs. Upon release he narrated a harrowing tale of the circumstances that he had encountered while in captivity. This elderly man was beaten severely and was tortured mentally. He failed to understand why the kidnappers were subjecting him to torture despite a smooth negotiation with his son in terms of ransom money. Another five families shared their predicament when their loved ones were kidnapped and released after payments of heavy ransom amounts. Those victims are still living under fear and mental agony that has taken its toll on their mental as well as physical health. Recently the CPLC was able to rescue an American citizen of Pakistani origin who was kidnapped for ransom. It appears that the foreign visitors are attractive targets for these kidnappers. This young gentleman gave a description of the violent attitude of his kidnappers. I believe he would never visit Pakistan again. In the recent past a child was kidnapped in Pakistan who had a British nationality and the ransom was paid in Switzerland. Luckily the law enforcing agencies were able to track down the gang involved. In a number of cases, close friends and relatives were involved in perpetrating this crime. I cannot forget the incident of a 12 year old boy "Asif Bhoja" who was kidnapped from his school, the kidnappers probably received the ransom, released the boy near Saddar and as soon as he got off the motorbike of his kidnapper, he was shot in the head. One cannot understand the dynamics of this brutality and inhuman conduct. Some kidnappers aim at not only kidnapping for ransom, but after accomplishing their task they also eliminate the poor victims and throw their bodies on the streets or isolated places.
A doctor with a mediocre income in a charitable clinic was threatened of kidnapping and subsequent killing if he would not pay Rs 5 lakh. When the doctor expressed his inability to fulfill this demand he was informed that the potential kidnappers knew all about his whereabouts, details about his school going children, and how they would kidnap the children if their requirement was not fulfilled. The poor doctor had to borrow money to pay the ransom.
There is another category of kidnapping and this comes under the category of "missing persons" who disappear all of a sudden and no clue is found. Their families are never contacted and no information about the missing people is available to the family who run from pillar to post to locate their loved ones. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan has recently taken notice of such missing persons and asked the law enforcing agencies to recover them. One wonders; who kidnapped those people? The international media suspects' agencies or secret services for this act and do not understand the motive behind such an act. Who is going to tell the nation about these victims and who is going to eliminate the booming industry of kidnapping? The voice of the nation is echoing back without any impact. Is this nation going to enjoy a decent, stress free, and secure living any day at all?
Kidnapping: a booming industry | Business Recorder
