BAHAWALNAGAR: The Jewellers Association of Bahawalnagar held a protest and observed a strike on Thursday against police for not registering an FIR even after 36 hours of a robbery incident.

Jeweller Nawaz was robbed by two motorcyclists of jewellery worth Rs4 million near Qasim Road when he was going to Chishtian from Bahawalnagar.

Jewellers Association President Haji Asif Raza said that after the robbery, the police behaved badly with the traders and refused to lodge an FIR. He said even after 36 hours of the incident, the police had been unable to identify the jurisdiction of the police station where the robbery occurred.

The traders said the B-Division Police sent them to A-Division Police Station, whereas the A-Division claimed the crime scene was not in their jurisdiction.

The jewellers said the police made them a shuttlecock and their behaviour forced them to observe the strike.

They said they would increase the scope of their protest until the FIR was lodged and the perpetrators were arrested. They demanded the chief minister and the inspector general of police to take notice of the matter.

Later, negotiations were held between traders and the administration and the DPO ordered B-Division Police to lodge an FIR and assured the traders’ delegation that the culprits would be arrested soon.

BURNT: A 50-year old man was burnt alive in his bedroom on Thursday after a fire started in the house.

According to District Officer (Emergency) Rao Sharafat, Iftikhar, of Chak Tibba Noorpura, was asleep in his room when suddenly the fire broke out. He said Iftikhar couldn’t escape the room and he was burnt alive.

Rao said the victim was smoking a cigarette in the bed which he did not put out properly. He said the burning cigarette was the reason for the fire.

Rescue 1122 shifted the body to the Haroonabad THQ Hospital for post-mortem.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2020