Passenger bus set ablaze over refusal to pay extortion money,"Bhatta-Mafia is too strong

A passenger bus in Pakpattan was set on fire by members of an influential group on Monday after they were refused to be provided with Rs200 extortion money.
The unpleasant occurrence, which took place on Chowk Jamal where Dogar and Khagga groups have allegedly been involved in extorting Rs200 from every passenger bus making a stop over there, forced the passengers to jump out of the vehicle to save their lives.
According to the police, transporters have filed complaints against the groups and the police was taking action against them. On the other hand, transporters said that the tension between the two groups had long been persisting over extortion money.
They alleged that Tariq Khagga, who is a member of Khagga group, was the cousin of a native member of the Punjab provincial assembly (MPA). The transporters said they had repeatedly filed complaints but the police took no action against the extortionists.Similarly, MNA and MPAs are running a number of gangs of extortionists in Multan city .They extort money from Rickshaw drivers  to truck and bus drivers, push cart vendors, encroachers.
An imperishable fear and chaos has permeated all over the financial and industrial hub of Multan. Traders, Transporters and shopkeepers are afraid of establishing their business due to ever increasing extortion mafia in Multan.
These businessmen are helpless and at the mercy of" bhatta mafia " being threatened every day to pay the bhatta or amount of money as demanded or they will be killed. The minimum a shopkeeper has to pay on average is around Rs25, 000 – an amount which often increases as per the income.This illicit practice has been prevailing with such audacity as no one is there to punish them or stop them from this illegal business. What a sad plight it is that these extortionists are even aided by our so called lawmen.