LARKANA: DIG Mazhar Nawaz Shaikh on Thursday suspended Larkana DSP Shahjehan Shah and Naudero SHO Shahid Memon following a strong protest held by residents of the town against unbridled incidents of house robberies, shoplifting, theft, mugging, vehicle snatching and other crimes over several months.

A large number of protesters took to the streets of Naudero and blocked Larkana-Sukkur road with burning tyres and junk demanding recovery of the looted money and goods, removal of inefficient and indifferent police officers and arrest of the criminals.

Carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against crime and police, the protesters led by Naseer, Murtaza, Waheed and others said that the town had been witnessing an upsurge in street crimes, theft and house robberies for long but the police neither took any action to arrest the criminals nor did they succeed in recovering the looted money and goods.

They recalled that only a couple of months back, thieves sneaked into the house of tailor, Zulfikar Channa, and took away 10 tolas of gold, two mobile phone sets and other household articles before scaling the walls of the house of a landlord, Nazeer Abro, to take away gold ornaments and other household articles worth Rs10 million. Snatching of motorcycles in the town was also on the rise, they added.

Before he was suspended, DSP Shah visited the protest site and held negotiations with the protesters to assure them of effective action against criminals and recovering of the looted assets.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2021