June 25, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 20, 1429

SIALKOT, June 24: The outer and inner walls of the house of a Daska-based jeweller were badly damaged after some unidentified culprits fired two rockets on his residence in Gulistan Colony on Tuesday morning.

Terrified Mian Muhammad Saeed, who is president of the Anjuman Tajran, Main Bazaar, Daska, told reporters that the family was asleep when some unknown accused fired two rockets at around 2am on night between Monday and Tuesday.

The area jolted with thunder of this firing of shells, which badly damaged the outer and inner walls of the jeweller’s house. However, all the family members remained safe and sound.

He said some unknown accused, introducing themselves as proclaimed offenders (POs), had demanded Rs10 million extortion money (Jagga Tax) from him by making repeated telephone calls from different mobile phones a few months ago. They had also threatened him and his family with dire consequences for not paying the money. He said this firing could have been made by these POs to terrify him and his family to mint money.

He said about a year ago, some accused had badly shattered the walls, windowpanes and doors of his house by spraying bullets upon his refusal to pay them the extortion money.

“Now me and my family members are terrified and completely harassed and Daska city police have miserably failed to protect us from criminals,” he said.

This incident has created panic among local traders and jewellers, and they have announced that they will go on agitation on the appeal of the Anjuman Tajran, Main Bazaar, Daska, and Sarafa Association, Daska, in protest against rising and targeted dacoity and robbery incidents.

The perturbed business community has expressed concern over the rising crime rate in the city and its outskirts.

Local traders and industrialists said the police had miserably failed to trace out the accused involved in these heinous crimes and this failure had indeed left the life and property of local traders, industrialists and common people at the mercy of the criminals.

They alleged the police had also failed to provide security to traders and industrialists because of which they were feeling insecure and unsafe.

The business circles also demanded early arrest of the accused, who had looted gold ornaments, national and foreign currency, electronic appliances and other valuables worth Rs1.3 million from the house of an industrialist, Zahid Mughal, during a broad daylight dacoity in Daska’s Mughalpura locality a week ago. They also protested against the police for not registering a case.

In another incident, the body of a kidnapped trader was found from Upper Chenab Canal near Khambraanwala village on Tuesday.

Some unidentified accused had kidnapped Muhammad Shafiq two weeks ago and demanded a Rs2 million ransom from his family.

The accused killed him and threw his body into the canal after the refusal of his parents to pay the ransom.

Shafiq was got married only two months ago. He was laid to rest at a local graveyard.

The Head Marala police are investigating with no arrest as yet.

Meanwhile, some unknown car riders kidnapped for ransom a local flourmills owner, Arshad Cheema, when he was going to attend a wedding near Begowala, Sambrial.

The kidnappers picked Cheema from the wedding procession and fled. Later, they demanded Rs5 million for his release from the family by making repeated calls from different mobile phones.

The Begowala police have registered a case.

Meanwhile, the local flourmills associations and traders have expressed concern over the incident and demanded recovery of the kidnapped trader and arrest of the culprits.

Sialkot DPO Muhammad Ameen said the police were making efforts to protect life and property of the business community. He said special police teams consisting of senior officials were raiding various places for the arrest of these criminals.