THATTA, June 6: Hundreds of residents of Chuhar Jamali, led by taluka Nazim Hafeez Memon, blocked the Chuhar Jamali-Sujawal highway by staging a sit-in to protest the looting of passengers of over half a dozen vehicles including the taluka nazim and manhandling of drivers and passengers here in the early hours of Monday.

Eye witnesses said that about eight highwaymen, equipped with sophisticated arms, blocked the highway, made dozens of passengers including the taluka nazim hostage on gunpoint and deprived them of cash, gold ornaments and other valuables.

The bandits, after snatching valuables and cash, vanished in the thick woods.

To protest the incident, the taluka nazim brought hundreds of the citizens on the highway and blocked it.

DPO Akbar Sanjrani rushed to the site and cleared the highway after holding talks with the protesters for three hours. He also suspended SHO Chuhar Jamali, Gul Munir Qazi and posted Mir Mushtaq in his place.