LAHORE: Hundreds of people on Wednesday night launched a fierce protest on Raiwind Road near Jia Bagha against the Punjab government and the investigation police after a father of five was shot dead by armed men over an old enmity.

Slain Ijaz was the sole witness to the murder of his father Kaly Khan who was shot dead by armed men some one-and-a-half-year back.

Ijaz was the complainant of the FIR lodged against the alleged killers and was pursuing the case in the court.

The protesters blamed the senior officials of the investigation police for the second murder in the family alleging they had off and on informed them about threats to Ijaz.

The footages [of the protest] showed the women aggressive, abusing and cursing the government as well as police for ignoring their requests to take notice of threats to Ijaz.

They placed the body on the main road and refused to allow vehicular movement until action against the police officials.

The protesters also refused to hold negotiations with the police, suggesting a senior representative from Chief Minister Usman Buzdar for assurance of timely arrest and punishment to killers.

“We will not leave the place until arrest of the culprits,” a woman protester told the media saying the attackers had sent their ladies to their homes who hurled threats at Ijaz that “he would be no more” in days to come.

She said some relatives of the killers paid frequent visits to the street, met Ijaz’s near and dear ones and set ‘murder deadline’ saying he would be killed [on the given day and time].

She said the family had been reporting the same to the police but no action was taken.

A large number of vehicles, including ambulances, were stuck in the traffic mess during the protest.

The protesters ended their protest at 11pm.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2021