The Honorary Consul General of Canada in Karachi, Pakistan has become the latest victim of extortion attempt by militants in the strife torn country that is struggling with a sudden increased criminal activity.

Media in Pakistan said gangs which have been demanding bhatta or protection money from traders and businessmen have now started targeting foreign officials in Pakistan.

On May 28, Honorary Consul General of Canada Behram D Avari received a threatening text message from a criminal group who claimed to be associated with the Lyari Gang Wars (LGW) and demanded Rs 5 million (about C$51,000) in extortion money, the Pakistantoday.com reported.

Avari is the owner of three-star hotel (Beach Luxury) located in a posh locality of Karachi, which is also home to the Canadian consulate in that seaport city.

Police purportedly arrested three men from interior Sindh who were part of the group that demanded extortion money from Avari. 

In a statement to police, Avari said he had received a text message of a person who disclosed himself as Ahmed Ali Magsi on May 28.

“The said person told me that he belonged to LGW and demanded Rs 5 million on account of extortion money,” Avari told police.

“In the text message, the criminals warned me to arrange the money and call them back on the same number, otherwise they would blow up my hotel and house with hand grenades,” Avari said, adding that the criminals also told me that they were not afraid of anyone and no one could dare reach them.

“They told me to go police, Rangers, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Special Investigation Unit (SIU), Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC) and Criminal Investigation Agency (CIA) or anywhere, but pay them the extortion money,” Avari maintained.

“We don’t want to hurt you or put you in any kind of trouble. Pay us Rs 5 million,” Avari read the message of criminals to police.

“Reacting on my complaint, the police raided and arrested some of criminals from Pano Aqil, interior Sindh,” Avari told Pakistan Today.

“I approached police after receiving demand of extortion money,” Avari said, adding that “I am not afraid of anyone”.

“I have no idea about arrest in this case as I had lodged the FIR and forwarded the case to investigation department,” Docks police officer Asif Jakhrani said.

“The SIU is pursuing the case and they have arrested some members of the group after raids,” Jakhrani added.

Special Investigation Unit chief Farooque Awan said SSP West had conducted raids in interior Sindh and arrested some men, but he had no information about development into Avari’s case.

Earlier this month, the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan has asked two prominent businessmen to pay 'protection money' to help militants carry out jihad, according to a media report. 

The chief executive of an Islamabad-based business establishment had received four letters, allegedly from the head of the Taliban's "finance wing", asking him to pay USD 25 million. The letter, bearing the name of its sender, said the money is needed for jihad and it should be paid in Dubai. 

If you paid the money, we will protect you. Otherwise, there will be no guarantee," the letter said. 

The Taliban threatened that its "operational wing" would take action if the money was not paid, a senior police official was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper. Last month, the Taliban demanded Rs100 million from businessman Raja Hanif, a resident of the tourist resort of Murree. 

Karachi is Pakistan's largest city by far, with a population of over 18 million and rising, and is its main economic hub. It is also the capital of the southern province of Sindh - the port of Karachi on the Arabian Sea is used as an entry point for crucial supplies for the US war effort in Afghanistan.

Traders and businesses last week observed a shutdown in Pakistan’s business capital to protest against extortion and target killings that are on the rise again, business leaders told The News.

“The sudden rise in criminal activities has come swift in the wake of the formation of the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) government in Sindh,” they said.

The businessmen were speaking as the city observed a major political motivated shutdown on, which happened to be the first working day of newly appointed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) had announced a day of mourning for the disappearances and killings of their supporters as well as the worsening law and order situation in Karachi. The protest paralysed the city: all business and trading activities ceased, causing an estimated loss of four billion rupees.

“The people of Sindh responded to our shutdown call, which is evidence of our mandate,” said Dr Sagheer Ahmed of the MQM.

Haroon Agar of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) denied that the business community was forced to shut down all business and trading activities and insisted they did so voluntarily in protest against the worsening law and order situation in the city. “We are quite disappointed with the fact that the PPP, which did nothing in its previous regime, has again formed the government in Sindh,” he said. “Businessmen and traders are receiving extortion threats, traders are being killed and people were living in fear.”

“The city of lights has been turned into the city of fear and blood,” said another business leader. “People, including the business community, are losing hope since the PPP has resumed charge of Sindh. In its last tenure, the party brought economic activity in the province to its lowest point and there appears to be no change in their attitude.” The businessman said that the ministers, advisers, provincial bureaucracy, police and rangers didn’t take ownership of the city. “They are busy filling their pockets at the cost of Karachi and this reflects in their performance.”