July 02, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 27, 1429

SUKKUR, July 1: Enraged protesters took to the streets here on Tuesday after the killing of Mohammad Asif Bandhani, a salesman of a tyre shop at the hands of bandits on Monday.

They burnt tyres, took out rallies besides cordoning-off police stations and the DPO office seeking immediate arrest of the accused.

Carrying wooden sticks and iron rods hundreds of protesters took out a rally and marched on the city streets and shouted slogans castigating police and the elected representatives for their failure to check increase in crime graph.

Enraged protestors cordoned “A” and “B” section police stations and the DPO office and pelted stones and also resorted to aerial firing. The police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the unruly mob. The protesters also pelted stones on passing vehicles and ripped apart signboards to vent their anger.

Talking to the newsmen, the protesters strongly condemned the lawlessness in the city and said that crime rate in the city had registered an increase after the installation of the present government.

Elected representatives, including the federal minister for labour Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah and Nauman Shaikh besides MPA Dr Nasrullah Baloch also came under strong criticism of the protesters.

They complained that after securing victory through their votes, elected representatives have left them at the mercy of criminals.

On the other hand, a delegation of traders led by president Sukkur Small Traders and taluka nazim Sukkur Mohammad Naeem Siddiqui, Mohammad Hanif Bandhani and others met the DPO Sukkur Arib Mahar and expressed their anxiety over the deteriorating law and order situation of the city and demanded immediate arrest of the accused involved in the killing of Bandhani.

The DPO assured them that all possible measures were being taken to arrest the accused.

Meanwhile, the DPO Sukkur has also suspended the SHO “A” section police station Badar Bhutto on the charge of negligence of duty.

It may be mentioned here that on Monday evening Mohammad Asif Bandhani, a salesman of a tyre shop, was going to a private bank to deposit an amount of Rs 400,000. When he reached near the bank, three robbers tried to snatch his bag containing the amount. He was shot dead while resisting the bandits. The bandits, however, fled along with the booty.