MARDAN: Unidentified burglars broke into shops of jewellers in Gaju Khan Market here late Tuesday night and took away 559 tola gold, 10 tola silver and over Rs1.1 million in cash.

Preliminary investigations conducted by officials of the city police station revealed that the burglars looted three jewellery shops in Gaju Khan Market and took away Rs1 million and 70 tola gold from the shop of Mohammad Aslam; 462 tola gold and Rs50,000 from the shop of Mohammad Shakeel; and 27 tola gold along with Rs15,000 cash and two prize bonds each worth Rs40,000 from the shop of Shereen Khan.

Owners of the jewellery shops have lodged an FIR with the City police station against unknown burglars.

Jewellers and traders, led by former MNA Himayatullah Mayar, former tehsil nazim and president of Tanzeem-i-Tajaraan, Mardan, Ihsan Bacha, president Gaju Khan Jewellery Association Noorzada and general secretary Sajjad Saraf, staged a protest against the robbery and blocked the busy bazaar for several hours.

They chanted slogans against the government for its failure to provide security to the business community of the district. They set a three-day deadline to the authorities concerned for recovery of the looted jewellery and arrest of the looters. They warned that they would launch an indefinite strike if the authorities did not take action.

The protesters, however, dispersed peacefully after holding a demonstration against the robbery incident.