SAHIWAL: An alleged gang of extortionists burnt down a public transport bus for not paying them Rs200 as charges for stopping the bus at Jamal Chowk in Pakpattan on Monday afternoon.

The bus was on its way to Kasur from Pakpattan. A local transporter and bus owner, Qaisar Bhatti, had submitted a written complaint to police against the extortionists, but the police failed to take any action.

Witnesses say the passengers ran out of the bus when it was attacked by around six men who started sprinkling kerosene and petrol on the seats, and later torched it.

Rescue 1122 sources said it took 40 minutes to put out the fire that gutted the entire bus.

The chief minister took notice of the incident and Punjab Inspector General Amjad Javed Saleemi asked Pakpattan District Police Officer Maria Mahmood to submit a report into the incident within 24 hours. City Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Naeem Virk was leading the investigation.

Farid Nagar police registered a case under Section 7 of the ATA against 21 suspects among which six were nominated and 15 unidentified. Among those booked was Tariq Qauum Khagga, the son-in-law of PTI MPA Muhammad Shah Khagga.

Local transporters and the gang of extortionists were embroiled in a dispute for long. Transporters said they were already paying bus stop fee to the Pakpattan Municipal Corporation (MC) and could not pay additional Rs200 to the extortionists. The gang demanded the extortion from a bus stopping for a minute at Jamal Chowk from where it picked up passengers.

DSP Virk told the media that no one would be allowed to extort money from transporters, who will only pay to the MC.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2018