THATTA: A large number of small traders who protested against `complete breakdown of law and order` and rise in robberies in the district here on Thursday said media was their only hope because neither public representatives nor police had ever bothered to listen to their woes.
The traders marched through the main bazaar to the press club to have a dialogue with police officials and assistants of legislators over deteriorating law and order in the town. They were also joined by members of civil society and political activists.
They were highly critical of indifferent attitude of PPP legislators and said that media had extended more help to the victims than their elected representatives.
The traders had been protesting since Wednesday against a recent robbery and manhandling of the family of a medical wholesaler Haji Ghulam Mustafa Memon.
Sajid Waswani, president of Spare Parts Association, Anees Memon president of Cloth Merchants Association, Ilyas Memon, president of Sarrafa Bazaar Association, Shahzad Hashmani, president of Confectionery Wholesalers Association, Rizwan Memon, president of Kiryana Merchants Association and other said at the crowded meeting that no MNA and MPA of the ruling party had ever bothered to express sympathies with victimised family of a trader.
They said that the elected representatives never dared to confront the police officials because of political clout of district police officer who was reportedly very close to provincial home minister.
They said that the elected representatives had miserably failed to deliver the goods but they should also keep in mind that elections were not far away.
Giving details of recent crimes in the district, they said that on Dec 5 last year a group of outlaws robbed a trader Dodo Jakhro of Rs400,000, on Dec 10 some robbers deprived a trader Ansar Akhtar of Rs50,000, two months ago Ghulam Qadir Memon was deprived of Rs2.2 million, Zulfiqar Shaikh was robbed of Rs150,000, Ayaz Memon, Afsar Akhtar and other traders were also looted and manhandled by robbers, in addition to over a dozen thefts in Shahi Bazaar.
Wednesday`s robbery was one of the most blatant and audacious because the robbers barged into the medical wholesaler Haji Ghulam Mustafa Memon`s house under broad daylight, pulled off gold earrings from the ears of minor girls, ruthlessly tortured women and children and snatched away gold ornaments and cash worth over Rs1.2 million and trampled sanctity of “Chadar and Chaar Deewari”, they said.
The traders said that police had always avoided registering FIRs of crimes.
Later, representatives of legislators and DSP Mohammad Younus Rodhrani advised the protesters to allow legal proceedings to take its own course and assured them that police would expedite efforts to arrest culprits as soon as possible.
On this assurance the traders dispersed peacefully but vowed to restart their protest campaign against rising crime if the promises were not met on time.
Source: Dawn
Date:2/11/2011
