ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Police have registered a case on the complaint of a woman resident of the capital city, claiming that the activists of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have been threatening her and other members of her family, demanding Rs1 billion as extortion money.

The complainant has also sought protection for herself and her family from the state after allegedly receiving threatening calls.

A police officer not only confirmed the receipt of the complaint but also told Dawn that the police had registered a case at Golra Police Station under Section 387 of the Pakistan Penal Code and 25-D of the Telegraph Act in response to it.

The family had received a couple of calls from different numbers and was asked to pay Rs1 billion in extortion for the TTP’s operations

in Waziristan, the officer said, adding that the calls were made from different neighboring countries.

The complainant told the police that the family had been receiving multiple calls since January from different numbers in Afghanistan and Iran, adding that the callers also sent photos of the houses of the complainant as well as of other family members.

Besides, the callers threatened the family with dire consequences and asked them to pay the extortion, and due to the life threats, the family had already moved to some other place.

A decade ago, there was an alarming increase in extortion cases in the capital. At that time, investigations into these cases revealed that the TTP had a hand in all the small and big extortion incidents, and the terror outfit was involved in extorting money from rich people directly and indirectly.h people directly and indirectly.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2024