April 06, 2007	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 17, 1428

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LAHORE, April 5: Traders of Badami Bagh auto market held a protest demonstration and observed a shutter-down strike on Thursday against the rising robbery incidents in the last fortnight.

Over 200 traders, led by Punjab Qaumi Tajir Ittehad representative Irfan Iqbal, held demonstration at Circular Road Chowk.

Protesters demanded suspension of the SHO and his subordinates for their failure to check robbery incidents, provide security cover to the trader community, recovery of loss and arrest of the accused.

They threatened to shut all business centers in Lahore for six days in case the accused were not arrested and their loss was not recovered.

The business community also observed the shutter-down strike from 9am to 2pm in protest.

Traders discontinued the protest when the Ravi division SP and other officials assured them that the police would compensate the victims and arrest the accused.

When contacted, Lorry Adda SHO Waqar Gondal came clean of committing of some robberies in his area during the last 15 days, saying an 11-member gang, led by Sarfraz alias Doctor, could be involved in them.

“We have prepared sketches of the robbers and will be able to trace and arrest them before the deadline set by traders for their next protest,” he claimed.

The SHO claimed that only three robberies were reported in his area in 2006 while the recent robbery incidents occurred after a lapse of three months.

He said 12 policemen were deployed at six entry points of the market who would perform security duty from opening of the market till its closure.

At least 50 close circuit cameras were working in the auto parts market and traders had been repeatedly asked to install such cameras in their shops and deploy security guards for their protection, he said.

The protest-cum-strike was announced on Wednesday evening after two armed robbers plundered two auto shops, thrashed their employees and took away Rs150,000 in cash and four cell phones. The incident occurred within a striking distance of the Lorry Adda police station, exposing efficiency of patrolling of officials at six entry and exit points of the market.

Victim traders said that the same robbers, with an apparent look of policemen, had already plundered four other shops in a span of 15 days.

“Lorry Adda officials, looting customers under the pretext of checking, are never seen patrolling the market and protecting traders and customers from the gangsters,” said Khawaja Naseem, owner of a looted shop.

A survey reveals that the Badami Bagh auto market, stretching from the Circular Road to the Kashmir Ghatti and Lorry Adda, comprises 37 small markets and around 4,500 shops. Badami Bagh Center, LMC Market, Kausar Centre, Minhaj Centre and Namra Centre are the major markets.

The entry and exit points of the congested market are devoid of proper police patrolling despite the fact that hundreds of customers from different cities and various parts of Lahore visit there for shopping from morning to till late evening.

According to traders, recent series of robberies have created a panic and sense of insecurity among them.

“We only see policemen at a picket outside the Hyder Saeen Darbar teasing traders and customers in the name of checking,” said trader Irshad Anjum, who is also senior vice-president of Auto Centre Traders Welfare Association.

Office-bearers Pakistan Auto Mobile Spare Parts Importer & Dealer Association (PASPIDA) said that police officials, including Muhafiz Force, had deprived their several customers of cash and valuables at pickets on Circular Road.

PASPIDA Punjab circle chairman Sohail Imtiaz Butt, who deals in tractor parts at the market, said a gang of three robbers had been operating in the market right under the nose of Lorry Adda police, but they never launched any serious effort for their arrest.

He regretted that the people were being targeted by robbers in broad daylight owing to the absence of police patrolling.

A Lorry Adda policeman also made a clean breast that police officials had looted customers in the past and five of them had been penalized so far.

He said that three Muhafiz force officials had been dismissed from service about six months ago on the complaint of a citizen for depriving him of cash.