KARACHI, Nov 21: With Eidul Fitr approaching fast, the police and some political groups have reportedly quickened the pace of extorting money from common people.

Motorcyclists are the most vulnerable as they are regularly seen at various roads and roundabouts in the metropolis, “dealing” with the police to free themselves from their clutches.

The police are also reportedly taking money from the people installing temporary stalls at the various makeshift Eid bazaars. These vendors often find it difficult to set aside some money for the policemen from their meagre profits.

Although they were awarded permission by the City Government to set up stalls, the vendors have been forced by some political groups tp pay up. No vendor dares refuse these groups the “bhatta”.

“We have beefed up security and deployed the police at various roads and streets to check illegal activities and theft of vehicles during the month of Ramazan,” a senior police official told Dawn the other day.

However, these same policemen have started misusing their position and begun harassing the innocent citizens on the pretext of checking the papers of their vehicles. It has been regularly witnessed at the various roundabouts that the police stop the motorcyclists to check their papers and they are not let off unless they allegedly grease their palms.

The police officials often issue tickets as well but they allegedly harass the motorcyclists too, Dawn has been told. It has been observed that youths returning homes after shopping are particularly stopped.

A youth, Moin Qamar, 22, was returning home around midnight the other day, along with his friend Mr Tauqeer, when he was stopped near Nazimabad Chowrangi. Mr Moin was driving the motorcycle of his father.

He was asked to show the papers, which he did. But the police harassed him, saying that he was riding a stolen motorcycle. He tried to convince the policemen otherwise but the officials kept on harassing him. He was later let off when he paid up.

Another motorcyclist Qasim, a resident of Orangi Town, said he was stopped near Pirabad police station. At the time he had his driving licence on him and the motorbike’s papers in the name of his brother.

He told Dawn: “The police told me that I was driving a stolen motorbike and they threatened me of impounding the bike and arresting me. They demanded Rs500 for letting me off. I had Rs73, of which they grabbed Rs70 from me and allowed me to go.”

It has often been seen that three or four policemen surround a motorcyclist and ask him numerous questions to confuse him so that he could make a mistake and the policemen could get a chance to grab some money from him.

Meanwhile, different political groups have started collecting money from patharedars and different stall-holders who have installed stalls at various Eid bachat bazaars to earn their livelihood, after the police’s role in pocketing “bhatta” had been minimized after the City Government had legalized them.

A youth, who had set up his stall in Liaquatabad, said a political group had recently made it clear to him, and others like him, that they had to give a fixed amount from their earnings, failing which they might “face dire consequences”.

Police have also been collecting “their share” at some places in the metropolis from vendors but overall the situation was not in their control except to provide these bazaars security. Policemen have been forced to pitch tents inscribed with the words “Police Complaint Centre” near different markets and makeshift bazaars to provide service to the shoppers.

However, they do not bother to patrol these bazaars to check cases involving purse-snatchers and pickpockets. A number of people have complained of such incidents, which are on the rise. Even a former sub-divisional magistrate, Mushtaq Ahmed, was deprived of his wallet in Hyderi market on Nov 19.

This happened reportedly because the police were not getting their “share” from these bazaars and markets. Taking advantage of the situation, different political groups have also started demanding money from shopkeepers in Nazimabad, Liaquatabad, Federal ‘B’ Area, Landhi, Korangi, Orangi Town, Saddar and other areas.

It has been observed that the inter-city public transport operators are also charging exorbitant fare from passengers as there is no check on them. The passengers are forced to get inter-city buses to reach their destinations upcountry as the trains are overbooked.