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FAISALABAD, April 2: Hundreds of shopkeepers, workshop owners and transporters blocked traffic near the GBS in protest against the police failure to take action against the persons involved in receiving protection money from them here on Wednesday.
The protesters blocked the traffic by erecting barricades and burning used tyres. They chanted slogans against a gang of outlaws for extorting huge amount as protection money at gun point. They alleged that the area police was informed about this crime, but no action had so far been taken.
The traffic blockade continued for about couple of hours which hampered the traffic flow on almost all city roads. The shopkeepers also observed a token strike by closing their shops.
They blamed that a dozen armed men of Bajwa Brothers residing near the premises of the GBS had been receiving protection money from them for the last several years. On Wednesday, a member of the gang demanded Rs100,000 from the owners of vehicle workshops on a notice of one hour. They informed the area police, but no action was taken against the culprits.
Senior police officers rushed to the spot and negotiated with the protesters. The protesters dispersed peacefully on the assurance of police high-ups that strict action would be taken against the persons involved in receiving forced money.
COMMUNITY POLICING: All-out efforts are being made through community policing to further improve the law and order situation as it is prerequisite for the much-needed economic activities in the city.
This was stated by District Police Chief Zafar Abbas while speaking to members of the All Pakistan Cloth Exporters Association (APCEA) here on Wednesday.
The DPO said that Faisalabad had the distinction to take initiative in introducing community policing in the Punjab and was making concerted efforts to weed out crimes. He said the experiment had not only proved successful in arresting the crime but also helped in improving the overall law and order situation.
The DPO said that Rescue 15 centres were playing a vital role in establishing a close liaison and understanding between the police and public. A new Rescue 15 centre would be set up in the industrial cluster of Millat Road.
Assuring industrialists, he said that patrolling squads had been directed to patrol industrial and commercial areas in the district to control the incidents of broad daylight dacoity and highway robbery. He said that extensive patrolling had already minimized the incidents of robbery on Service Lane of Motorway and other main highways.
APCEA Chief Khurram Iftikhar explained in detail the problems of law and order being experienced by the cloth exporters and hoped that police would further improve its overall performance.
District Public Safety Commission Chairman Mian Muhammad Latif also presented some viable suggestions in curbing the crime.
