A surge was seen in extortion cases in extortion cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the ongoing year where more than 70 cases of banned outfits demanding money from businessmen have been reported.

There were 79 extortion cases including 39 in Peshawar, 18 in Mardan, eight in Malakand, seven in Kohat, four in Bannu, and three cases in Dera Ismail Khan were registered against ban outfits.

Law enforcement agencies traced people involved in 46 cases while suspects behind other 33 cases have still not been caught.

The members of banned organizations including Laskhar-e-Islam, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan, and Jamat-ul-Ahrar were booked in extortion cases from various regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Members belonging to the banned organizations call businessmen and other rich persons in the province and ask them to pay money or face violence.