THIS is with reference to the letter ‘Fraudsters at Plaza’ (Nov 10). I have reasons to endorse the views of the victim who got ripped off in broad daylight at Karachi’s busiest, but notorious area where automobile parts, accessories and electronic items are sold, spreading from ‘Plaza’ to the ‘Regal Chowk’.

The irritating thing is that such activities have been going on for a long time. I have been a victim myself of these fraudsters. Back in 1997, I went there just to buy a rubber seal for my father’s 1979 model car. One little boy approached me, offering to fit that seal at a nominal charge. He was well-trained to convince me to move the car a few yards off the road which was actually the den of the group of goons. Six to eight well-built hoodlums, who looked more like dacoits, surrounded my car and all of a sudden started removing old rubber linings of car doors, trunk, bonnet, etc. Despite my resistance, they did not listen, and since there were no cellphones in those times, I was completely at the mercy of those looters.

The goons giggled and said they would have a party later in the evening. After about an hour of putting in a few substandard rubber linings, which were worth nothing more than Rs500, I was forced to pay them Rs7,000. The amount was my entire month’s salary at the time.

They took me to an ATM and got the money taken out. I could not cry for help as it was a Sunday and the area was deserted. Some locals showed sympathy and advised me to never come alone with a car in the area, and never let anyone touch the car unless the mechanic was known and from a reliable workshop in the vicinity. I wonder how such daylight robberies have continued unabated when the Preedy Police Station is hardly 50 metres away from the spot.

Farrukh Safdar
Karachi

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2024