Extortion by Law Enforcers

Country’s business leaders yesterday called for steps to end rampant extortion throughout the month of Ramadan alleging law enforcers and musclemen backed by political parties. Such extortion may lead to an abnormal hike in prices for essentials ahead of Eid. So, business leaders sought a remedy from the extortion of law enforcers and politically-backed musclemen and harassment by mobile courts and tax officers. Law enforcers’ such attitude to hike the price of necessary goods ahead of Holy Ramadan once again raises question upon their professional responsibility for what they are positioned. If politics assures people’s welfare, politicians’ stance to patronize a section of corrupt law enforcers gets people to mistrust the politics.


It is surprising that each and every year when law enforcers are engaged in extortion to hike daily essentials ahead of Ramadan, the home minister in his usual way sometimes beat the drum on behalf of law enforcers and also says to take stern action against police member if the businesses lodge specific complaint any member. But reality is that people feel panic to complain against police and in some cases if does so, it goes failure. This pampering attitude of the minister towards the police is harming the police as a force rather than doing any good for people. It is no secret that police collect tolls from footpath hawkers and vendors everywhere in the urban places not just in the capital. They extort money from trucks and buses on the highways. People also believe that money collected as extortion is shared by the higher officials of the department and patrons of political quarters. It appears that the records of the law enforcers are badly worst that nobody can deny. Besides, mobile courts and tax officers are intensifying the crisis to harass the sellers in blurred treatment. Law enforcers have to understand that they are there with their uniform to enforce law properly for public gain not abusing their power for their own sake.

Report said that the menace of extortion is just great to cheat people in the markets of daily essentials. Extortion exerts deeper economic significance as it increases price of consumers’ items or cost of a work significantly. More than that, over the years it has just become a pervasive social evil that has to be rooted out through genuine political will. If political leaders think that these extortionists come to their great help when they need to show their muscle power, extortion will continue to menace the society. On the other hand, law enforcers have to clean themselves first, as they are often found extorting money and this act of police encourages the political goons to do theirs.