LARKANA: Defiant shopkeepers doing their businesses in Sarrafa Bazaar (Sunaar Bazaar) in Ratodero town on Tuesday clashed with police when the latter tried to force them to pull down the shutters in line with the lockdown timings.

Several policemen were injured in the clash after which 34 unruly individuals including 14 nominated suspects were booked under relevant sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) for violating lockdown orders. Eleven of them were arrested.

According to the area police, some of the suspects snatched the official weapon, a sub-machinegun, from a policeman during the violence.

“We have arrested 11 suspects and recovered the SMG which was snatched during the scuffle”, the SSP headquarters said while talking to Dawn.

“A police party patrolling the streets of the town during lockdown timings asked goldsmiths working in their open shops to pull down the shutters,” the SSP said. However, he added, the shopkeepers argued with the police party and refused to comply with the instruction.

The situation grew tense when some shopkeepers grabbed policemen and scuffled with them. A strong contingent of police was called in from different police stations when the situation aggravated, local reporters said.

They added that police picked up some protesters and stuffed them in a police van. While being taken to the police station, they were severely beaten up by policemen, they said.

Larkana SP headquarters Mohammed Kaleem arrived at the scene and tackled the situation. Talking to Dawn, he said 11 protesters nominated in the FIR were arrested and they would be produced in court for remand on Wednesday.

On the complaint of ASI Mohammad Siddiq Brohi, the FIR (No.43) was registered under Sections 353,188, 395, 148, 149, 337A1-F1 and 617 of the ATA at the Ratodero police station against 14 nominated and 20 unknown suspects.

The complainant stated that while patrolling during the lockdown, the police party saw shops of goldsmiths open and as soon as they asked them to close down their business, they attacked them (police party) which resulted in injuries to five police constables — Basheer Brohi, Noor Ahmed Vessar, Nizamuddin Arbani, Janib Lolai and Abdul Aziz Siyanch.

“They also snatched a policeman’s SMG along with its magazine,” the FIR said.

Sources said the policemen received minor injuries.

The SP said that reinforcement called from different police stations had been deployed in the town to avert further violence.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2020