Tuesday laid bare that Karachi’s black economy generates a staggering Rs830 million every day.According to the numbers crunched by Geo News, at least Rs10 million is paid in extortion on a daily basis, while kidnapping for ransom amounts to Rs50 million.

Every day the parking mafia, which operates over 500 lots in the city, hooks Rs2.4 million. There are over 55,000 hawkers operating stalls/kiosks in the city, who pay Rs8.25 million to blackmailers every day.

The water mafia sells approximately 272 million gallons of water illegally each day, which amounts to Rs100 million.

The city also houses 15,000 drug-selling and gambling dens, which make Rs15o million per day.

Karachi’s land-mafia illegally grabs over 30,000 acres of government land denting the national exchequer by Rs7 billion annually and Rs230 million daily.

The city’s transport mafia extorts Rs10.48 million from buses, rickshaws, and taxis. Illegal payments called “Dhakka Wasooli” received from trucks, container-trucks, and oil tankers earn the mafia an additional Rs7.5 million.

Electricity worth Rs10.5 million is stolen daily in the city and there are between 4,000 to 5,000 ‘kundas’ (illegal connections) in Karachi.

Criminals associated with the health industry deprive the poor patients of Rs3 million every day.

Vehicle theft in the city is also at an all-time high, with an average of 40-50 motorcycles and 20-25 cars are lifted daily. This translates into Rs20.5 million a day.

Street criminals loot around 125-150 mobile phones, cash, jewelry and other valuables worth Rs5.2 million daily.

Short-term kidnapping in which the abductees are held at gunpoint and driven around the city for several hours generates over Rs3 million. Approximately 10-15 such kidnappings are reported from city’s posh localities every day.

The police in Karachi also receive bribes worth Rs210 million on a daily basis, which go into the pockets of officers from top to bottom.

QUETTA: The case relating to grenade attack on the house of Balochistan National Party chief, Sardar Akhtar Mengal has been registered against some unknown persons.

Police said that the FIR was registered in Sariab police station on the complaint of the guard at the house.

It may be recalled that some unknown persons had hurled two hand grenades at the house of Sardar Akhtar Mengal, which partially damaged the house, but no one was injured, as Sardar Akhtar Mengal was not present in the house.

ISLAMABAD: A three-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry resumed hearing the Shahzeb Khan murder case. The 20 year old who was gunned down in Karachi on December 25, and set a January 10 deadline to arrest Shahrukh Jatoi. During today’s hearing, Inspector General of Sindh Police Fayyaz Leghari appeared in the court for hearing where the bench expressed dissatisfaction over the police report on Shahzeb's murder case.

During the hearing DIG Shahid Hayat told that the main accused in the case Shahrukh Jatoi had traveled to UAE under a different name.

He also told that a police team will leave for Dubai today after getting a tip off that Shahrukh Jatoi is in Dubai.

He further told that Interpol has been contacted to arrest the accused.

IG Sindh Fayyaz Leghari pleaded for fifteen days’ time to arrest Shahrukh Jatoi but the court rejected the request and and gave January 10 deadline (3 days) to arrest the accused and present him in the court.

Later, the court adjourned the hearing till January 10.

During the previous hearing, the apex court had directed IG Sindh to arrest the killers of Shahzeb within 24 hours else he should appear before the apex court without uniform.

The SC also ordered the Sindh Police to present a charge sheet of the alleged killers. The court also ordered to attach the property and freeze the bank accounts of the accused involved in the brutal murder.

Police sprang into action on Friday after the SC’s directives and arrested Siraj Talpur, one of the key accused in the murder, along with his three mates.

Meanwhile, another main accused Shahrukh Jatoi reportedly departed for UAE on December 27.

The chief justice had taken suo moto notice of the brutal murder on 20-year-old Shahzeb Khan, based on press clippings carrying the story regarding his killing. Shahzeb Khan was gunned down in Karachi on December 25th, while police failed to make any progress due to immense political pressure.

The killing mobilised hundreds of the people against unquestioned authority that people with political connection enjoy in the country and gathered outside Karachi Press Club carrying banners and requesting the honourable chief justice of Pakistan for taking suo moto action in the matter for arrest of the accused.

The incident has received international attention with activists protesting outside Pakistan High Commission in London on Thursday demanding justice for Shahzeb.

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain and Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri will address a public gathering in Karachi today (Tuesday).

Both leaders would address their supporters in Jinnah Ground and would make important announcements regarding the long march being organized by TMQ on January 14.In a surprising announcement last week, MQM chief Altaf Hussain had vowed to join Tahirul Qadri’s long march.

ISLAMABAD: Inspector General Police (IGP) Punjab Haji Habib-ur-Rehman told Supreme Court that former chairman of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) Tauqir Sadiq may have fled to Nepal with his family. A two member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Jawad S Khwaja resumed hearing of Ogra implementation case on Monday.IG Punjab submitted a report in the apex court, stating that a joint team has been sent to Nepal to arrest Tauqir Sadiq.Justice Khwaja questioned how Tauqir Sadiq can elude the security staff despite installation of CCTV cameras at the airport.

“FIA and not the police is deployed at airports” IG Punjab responded.The bench inquired about the progress being made so far by the joint investigation team.In response, Haji Habib-ur-Rehman remained silent.Also, the court summoned CCTV and finger print records from the Federal Investigation Agency.