RECENT LY my brother was heading for his workplace when he was intercepted by a police patrol near Karsaz. The policemen asked him about the non-payment of themotor vehicle tax as there were no tax stickers on the windscreen.
One of the policemen sat in his car and told him to pay a fine of Rs7,000 or he would put him behind the bars and seize his vehicle. The police did not ask him to show the CNIC, driving licence or the car`s documents. My brother told them he was out of cash and said he be permitted to make a phone call to arrange money.
On hearing this, he snatched his cellphone and demanded payment. My brother gave him Rs500, but the policeman grabbed his wallet and searched it. He found two debit cards and took my brother to a nearby ATM and ordered him to withdraw cash.
My brother told he had no cash in the account on which the policeman asked him for a bank statement to prove. Eventually, he had to give Rs7,000 to the policemen.
Should this be considered a penalty for being a law-abiding citizen or was it extortion? I urge the authorities concerned to take action against such policemen.
