November 18, 2006	Saturday	Shawwal 25, 1427

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

RAWALPINDI, Nov 17: Armed robbers burst into a market in Shah Faisal Colony near the airport late Friday, looted a dozen shops and many customers and escaped, leaving the residents up in arms.

Shocked and angry, people of the locality blocked traffic on the road for almost two hours to protest the ease with which criminals could strike their high security area.

Their spirited protest caused a huge traffic jam, disrupting the VVIP movement on the road.

Security officials were forced to use Rawal Road as an alternate route to escort a delegation arriving from Bahrain to Islamabad. And Chinese delegation on its way to the airport was turned back to Islamabad to avoid the protesters.

The slogan-shouting protesters demanded the police check the surge in street crimes and “protect people, not just high-profile personalities”. Residents said the gang of robbers descended on the locality around 8pm. It was believed to be the same gang which had played havoc in Gharibabad and its surrounding during Ramazan.

The robbers began their looting spree from a house in Yousuf Colony and later raided Butt Market in Fazal Town. They collected cash and gold jewellry from the house and cash, calling cards and other valuables from the shopkeepers and their customers.

“They burst into shops, including Al-Flah store, in groups and looted shop owners and customers at gunpoint,” an eyewitness of the scary drama said.

They acted fast and disappeared in the dark. After their departure the victims gathered their wits and occupied the road to protest.

Police contingents, including the elite police commandos, led by DPO Saud Aziz reached the scene and started a hunt for the robbers.

Senior police officials succeeded in persuading the protesters to dispersed peacefully after two hours of pleading.

A police team has been formed to investigate the daring raid by the robbers.

DSP Investigation Wing Rana Shahid said: “It was the same gang the police have been hunting for the last two months. They have been traced and would be captured shortly.”