HYDERABAD: A token strike was observed on Wednesday here on the call of Anjuman-e-Tajiran-e-Cantonment Bazaar in protest against rising armed robberies.

Traders shut their business for two hours and warned that if the Cantonment police did not take any action, they would widen scope of their protest. Shopping centres and shops of Cantonment Bazaar were closed.

Anjuman’s president Ghazi Salahuddin said traders had reported the matter to ASP Cantonment police station Umer Tufail many a time, but police were reluctant to control crime and arrest armed robbers.

He said there was an unrest among shopkeepers because of increasing armed robberies and lawlessness. Traders had handed over robbers to cantonment police, but police released them.

He demanded of the police high-ups to take a stern action against the Cantonment police and curb crime rate immediately.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2014