Complaints surface against Tiger Force

Shopkeepers allege they were forced to pay ‘extortion’

LAHORE:

As Covid-19 threat is fading away the Punjab government has decided to mark ‘Tiger Force Day’ on Sunday (today) amid scores of complaints from traders about extortion and ‘illegal fines’ imposed by the force during the lockdown.

Addressing a news conference on Saturday, Special Assistant to PM on Youth Affairs Muhammad Usman Dar pinned great hopes with the members of the Tiger Force, however, the sections of business community, several traders and shopkeepers narrated different stories about the illegal practices of the member of the force.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, various traders and shopkeepers complained that the Tiger Force members were involved in extortion during the lockdown.

A paint shop owner, Zubair disclosed that members of the Tiger Force raided their market to check the implementation of lockdown. They brought locks with them to seal shops which were later allowed to open after payment of Rs3,000 to Rs5,000 and that too without any official receipt.

He revealed that the Tiger Force members were stationed in the government high school building. They raid markets, seal shops and tell shopkeepers to pay fine at the school. Several shopkeepers were forced to pay ‘illegal fines’ to keep their business going.

Another shopkeeper, on the condition of anonymity, highlighted that lockdown had a drastic impact on all businesses. Extortion and exploitation of local police and Tiger Force youth had further worsened the situation for small traders, he said. He also complained that the force members kept imposing illegal penalties on shopkeepers even though they did not have any authority to slap a fine on their own. Police were also on a money-minting spree during the lockdown, he alleged.

Meanwhile, responding to a question, Dar tried to dispel the impression that the Tiger Force members were involved in extortion or illegal activities. He highlighted that the government had given identification cards to the Tiger Force volunteers and as per their code of conduct no tiger force member can function on his own.

Though the government has no complaint of Tiger Force misconduct, if some individuals were involved in any such activity he would be caught, he maintained.

He said the authorities have decided to use the Tiger Force members to plant one million saplings across the province.

Criticising Sindh government, Usman Dar said 154,000 youth of the Tiger Force were waiting to assist the Sindh government but Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and his party were continuously politicizing the tiger force.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 9^th, 2020.