LARKANA: A gang of extortionists found involved in attacks on farmlands of various agriculturists including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, PPP-Shaheed Bhutto (PPP-SB) chairperson Ghinwa Bhutto and former manager of Bhutto Estate Riaz Phulpoto, ravaged the farms of another grower, Wahid Bakhsh Sethar on the outskirts of Naudero town on Thursday, area people and local reporters said.

Larkana SSP Masood Bangash told Dawn that extortionists chopped off guava trees in village Khuda Bakhsh Sethar after the landowner, Wahid Bakhsh Sethar, turned down their demand for money.

“The issue has roots in an old dispute between the gangsters and Mr Sethar,” he said, but when contacted for his comment, Mr Sethar contested the SSP’s claim.

The police officer said raids were conducted on the suspected hideouts of the gangsters after the fresh incident and 17 persons, believed to be involved in the criminal activity, were picked up. Only one more was required to be picked up, he said, adding that he would also be netted soon.

It was gathered that extortionists chopped off 23 guava trees in the early hours of Thursday in an attack on Mr Sethar’s orchards. Previously, the gang had destroyed 10 guava trees as a warning and dropped a note inscribed with their demand of Rs1 million and 10 mobile phone sets. Mr Sethar was threatened with dire consequences if he did not comply.

Denying that he had any dispute with the attackers, he said that 25 years ago there was a dispute between Bhuttos and Sethars but the same had been settled amicably soon afterwards.

Local reporters said that police had been struggling to bust the gang ever since it had attacked the PPP and PPP-SB leaders’ lands but the fresh incident proved that it was very much intact and operational in the area.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2020