Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) has witnessed a significant surge in extortion cases this year, with over 70 reported incidents of banned outfits demanding money from businessmen. Among these cases, there were 79 instances of extortion, with 39 occurring in Peshawar, 18 in Mardan, eight in Malakand, seven in Kohat, four in Bannu, and three in Dera Ismail Khan.
Law enforcement agencies have successfully traced individuals involved in 46 of these cases. However, in 33 other cases, law enforcement agencies have yet to apprehend the suspects responsible for the extortion.
Individuals from banned organizations such as Lashkar-e-Islam, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan, and Jamat-ul-Ahrar have carried out these extortion cases across various regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Perpetrators affiliated with these banned organizations typically contact businessmen and affluent individuals within the province, demanding monetary payments under the threat of violence.
Nine Killed And Some Wounded In Rocket Launcher Explosion In Kandhkot
Earlier, a rocket launcher explosion in the Katcha area of Kandhkot resulted in the death of nine individuals and injuries to four others.
The incident unfolded when a family living in Nawaz Zai, a neighborhood near Ghora Ghat, tried to dismantle a rocket launcher their children had discovered, with the intention of selling it.
During the attempt, the rocket launcher detonated, resulting in the loss of nine lives, including four children and three women, and injuring three others.
The authorities transferred the bodies and the wounded to the hospital, and the police and rangers sealed off the area.
In response to the incident, Sindh Chief Minister Justice Maqbool Baqir asked Inspector General Riffat Mukhtar to provide a report.
