PESHAWAR: Local traders and politicians on Thursday demanded deployment of Rangers in Peshawar to the public life and property.

They warned the people would agitate if the government didn’t check the growing incidents of extortion and targeted attacks in the city.

The demand was made through a unanimously adopted resolution during a condolence reference organised at the Peshawar Press Club for leading trader Haji Haleem Jan.

The event was organised by the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s regional office to remember Haji Haleem Jan, who was assassinated in Peshawar last month.

Traders, politicians threaten agitation over growing extortion, targeted attack cases

Former FPCCI central chairman and trader leader Haji Ghulam Ali presided over the condolence reference, where ANP leader and Senator Haji Adeel, former PPP provincial president Syed Zahir Ali Shah, and trader leaders Inayatullah, Malik Mehr Ilahi, Sultan Mohammad and Akbar Khan were the noted speakers.

The speakers paid tribute to Haji Haleem Jan for working for the welfare of business community.

They expressed serious concern about the growing incidence of target attacks, extortion and death threats from the Afghanistan-based terrorists, and criticised the government for ‘failing to protect the people’s lives and property.’

The speakers said the security situation was getting worse as there was no control on the increasing acts of terrorism in the province.

They said it was the prime responsibility of the government and security agencies to ensure the protection of public life and property but they had miserably failed to do it.

Ghulam Ali came hard on the PTI-led provincial government for ‘completely failing to bring any visible change in the lives of the people of the province.

He said industrialists and other businessmen were shifting from Peshawar to safer parts of the province due to the poor law and order situation and thus, causing unemployment.

The trader leader demanded that the federal and provincial governments formulate a joint strategy to check lawlessness in the province.

He said the killers of the deceased trader roamed in the city freely but the government and its law-enforcement agencies didn’t take necessary steps to protect the public life and property.

“The government’s indifference has forced the people to come onto the streets against the government,” he said.

During his speech, Senator Haji Adeel said the government was bound by the law to ensure the safety of the people.

He said around 200 people in the capital city mostly traders had received threatening calls from extortionists by using Afghan SIM cards, which was a matter of grave concern.

The ANP leader said both federal and provincial governments should take serious steps to check threats to the lives of Peshawarites.

He said PTI chairman Imran Khan had made tall claims about bringing about a ‘change’ in the province after coming to power but ironically, his party’s government had failed to do so over the last three years and instead, unrest had increased among the local people due to lawlessness, unemployment and civic issues.

Mr. Adeel said the law and order situation was deteriorating in the capital city but no serious efforts were made by the government to correct it.

He said it was the responsibility of both federal and provincial governments to take tangible, effective steps to combat terrorism.

The ANP leader demanded that the federal government make arrangements for the immediate rehabilitation of internally displaced persons, who had rendered great sacrifices for the restoration of peace.

The traders including Riaz Khattak and Akbar Khan demanded details of the arrests made in connection with the killing of Haji Haleem Jan.

Later, the participants unanimously passed a resolution calling for the deployment of Rangers in Peshawar for the protection of the people, especially traders, and strict enforcement of the ban on Afghan SIM cards.

They also demanded the immediate arrest of the killers of Haji Haleem Jan for punishment, announcement of Tamgha-i-Shujaat for him, and replacement of the provincial police chief.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2016