SUKKUR, Dec 13: Over 60 persons, most of whom were workers of religious political parties and leaders of teachers organizations, observed an eight-hour-long token hunger strike on Friday in Thul.

They were protesting against deteriorating law and order situation during the past week, as well as the police’s failure to protect the life and property of the people of Thul town.

They criticized the police for having failed to recover the eight persons — including Shams Naunari, Noor, Hisbullah Khoso, Baqa Mohammad, Mohammad Yousuf and Mohib Khoso — who were kidnapped over a month ago and demanded of the government to take effective measures in this regard.

Citing prevailing insecurity among the people of the town, they called for issuance of arms licenses in the wake of the police failure to protect them.

Meanwhile, an outlaw was injured in an encounter between dacoits and the police on the fish farm of Babul Khan Jakhrani on Friday.

However, the police said that the dacoits escaped along with their injured accomplice.