MUZAFFARABAD: A large number of people staged a demonstration during a token shutter down in Abbaspur town of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Monday to protest against the recent killing of a resident of their area in a car-snatching incident in Rawalpindi.

On Wednesday last, some unknown persons had shot dead Khawaja Sohail Shafi in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Road before snatching his Suzuki Mehran car that he drove as taxi to eke out a living.

The father of two girls was laid to rest in his native village the following day, amid demands by hundreds of mourners to hunt down and award exemplary punishment to his killers.

On Monday, traders in Abbaspur pulled down the shutters of their shops for more than an hour during which they and people from various walks of life staged a rally to press the authorities concerned to dispense justice to the bereaved family.

Since no one from the families of slain Kashmiris can follow up the investigation process, the police sweep all such cases under the carpet, the protesters maintained, urging AJK inspector general of police Dr Sohail Habib Tajik to strongly take up this issue with the Punjab police.

Speakers also called upon Rawalpindi’s newly-appointed CPO Sajid Kiani to take personal interest in tracing and penalising the killers of Mr Shafi and recovering his vehicle.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2021