LARKANA: A street protest broke out late on Saturday evening in the Pakistan Chowk area of Larkana after firing by a policeman left two pedestrians wounded.

The trouble started during an anti-encroachment operation in the area. While shopkeepers and vendors were posing resistance in the removal of encroachment, a traffic constable, Sikandar Chandio, who was accompanying the anti-encroachment staff, allegedly beat up some protesting people in his bid to push them away. However, his action aggravated the situation to the extent that he resorted to using his official gun to scare away the protesters.

Two passers-by, Shakeel Ahmed Tunio and Mumtaz aka Nang Bhutto, received gunshot wounds. Several hundred shopkeepers, vendors, after pulling down the shutters, gathered at the scene and marched through Royal Road raising slogans against the local administration and police. They blocked the road with burning tyres and then held a sit-in at Jinnahbagh gate, demanding arrest of the errant policeman.

A team of the Rapid Response Force rushed to the scene and arrested constable Chandio, to pacify protesters. The policeman was sent to the lock-up of the Market police station.

Larkana SSP Umar Tufail later told Dawn that although the constable had used his official weapon in self-defence, he would have to face action.

He said justice would be done with the firing victims. Doctors at the Chandka Medical College Hospital said the condition of Shakeel Tunio was critical.

The sit-in continued into late in the night.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2017