Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A dual national elected Union Council (UC) Chairman of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has allegedly established a network to collect ‘Bhatta’ from transporters by placing barriers on Sheikhpur Road near Rawat Industrial Estate, Daily Times had learnt.

Sources revealed that the Police Station Sihala was hands in gloves in the practice of the above illegal collection from heavy traffic.

The Rawat Industrial Estate was established in 1992 and now almost more than 300 industrial units related to pharmaceutical, steel were operating there, which were providing employment to thousands of workers.

Industrial Units were operating comfortably in the area since 1992 and the area was being developed day by day.

After the local government elections in Punjab province, the industrialists were being threatened on the use of the traditional route for transporting raw material for their units by the Chairman UC Rawat, Azhar Mehmood.

Azhar Mehmood who is reportedly, also a dual national (France National), had re-constructed Sheikhpur Road and closed it for the industry’s traffic by placing barriers.

Sources revealed that the league chairman had allegedly started demanding “Bhatta” as toll tax with help of some of his armed men from the transporters.

Even after getting the tax they threaten the transporters and ask them not to use the route.

Talking to this scribe, an industrialist said that how could be a dual national be elected as a UC chairman. He said the government should look into the matter as it had closed all the business activities at the Industrial Estate.

He said that at night time the mafia used to allow the passing of industrial trucks by taking ‘Bhatta’ worth Rs 5,000 to 6,000 from each loaded vehicle.

When contacted, the President National Industrial Zone Development Association Rawat, Arshad Awan, said that their business had been closed completely for the last five days due to the blockage of Sheikhpur Road.

Thousands of employees were associated with the industry operating in the area, he added.

He said that the police and the district administration had failed to restore the traffic on the above road, adding that their business would be destroyed if the road couldn’t be opened for them.

He said it was the only way to transport the raw material for the industry.

Arshad, however, said that he had also listened about the ‘Bhatta’ collection by the mafia but never ever personally become a victim of this illegal practice.

When approached, the UC Chairman Azhar Mehmood, refused to comment on the issue. He said that one should visit the location of the blocked road to know the reality of the situation. He said industrialists were well aware about the reason under which the road had been blocked.