KOHAT: The Kohat police have launched an operation to curb the practice of lending money illegally on exorbitant interest rates and the subsequent exploitation of the debtors by loan sharks.

Sources said that in the first phase eight gangs, including Afghan refugees involved in the business of illegal money lending in the district, had been apprehended by the police. They said that the police had also recovered arms, receipt books and other related documents from them.

They said that during investigation such people were found involved in extending loans in the shape of cash and kind on exorbitant rates and subsequent exploitation of the debtors. In some cases, the debtors were deprived of their houses and commercial property.

According to police sources, investigations into a number of cases of heinous crimes have revealed that they originated from the complications arising out of the exploitation of debtors by loan sharks.

The West Pakistan Money Lenders Ordinance 1960 provides for the means to control the practice of illegal money lending.

The sources said that in the second phase of the campaign the focus would be on raising public awareness of the illegal nature of money provided by private persons on inflated rates and the provisions of the relevant law.

The police department will also ask the victims of loan providers to report about those involved in the business of illegal money lending at exorbitant rates to the police.

Terming the exploitation of debtors by loan sharks a root cause of various other criminal offences the district police officer, Kohat, Mohammad Sohaib Ashraf has appealed to the citizens to cooperate with police in its campaign against those involved in exploitation of citizens.

BEAUTIFICATION PLAN: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan will inaugurate the beautification plan worth Rs280 million for the southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Kohat for which Rs20 million has been sanctioned in addition to Rs26 million earmarked earlier, it has been learnt.

Separately, under the millennium development goals over Rs8.70 million has been approved for pavement of streets, roads, gas supply and installing transformers in different areas of PK-38, including the city and its suburbs, a statement issued by MPA Ziaullah Bangash said on Wednesday.

When contacted, executive district officer, finance, Wahidur Rehman told this scribe that these funds could not be utilised in fiscal year 2014-15 and had now been revived by the federal government.

Meanwhile, commissioner, Kohat division, Musarat Hussain has asked the administrations of all the three districts to make uniform format for compilation of estimated losses during monsoon and form liaison committees at the union council level. He was chairing a meeting on contingency plan here on Wednesday.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2016