JACOBABAD, Feb 2: Most bazaars and business centres in Jacobabad remained closed on Thursday to protest against killing of a seven-year-old boy, Hamza Mughal, son of a goldsmith, Zafar Mughal.

The boy had been kidnapped on Friday from Jacobabad and killed in Karachi.

He was a student of class three in Abbotabad and had come to Jacobabad to spend winter vacations with parents.

The kidnappers made telephone calls, demanding Rs800,000 and 120 grams of gold as ransom for release of the child.

The father of the boy informed city TPO Khuda Bux Panhwar about the incident.

The police officer went to Karachi with the man carrying ransom money for release of the child.

The TPO reached the hotel where the kidnappers stayed. When one of the kidnappers, Shahzad, came to collect the money police detained him.

He told the police that another person Faisal was also involved in the kidnapping.

On his information provided by him, police raided Faisal's house but failed to arrest him.

Police arrested Faisal’s brother, sister and mother. Two of his friends were also arrested from Jacobabad.

During interrogation, Shahzad disclosed that they had killed Hamza.

The body of Hamza was found in the jurisdiction of Risala police station in Karachi.

Hundreds of people gathered at the house of the boy.

President of the Jacobabad Chamber of Commerce Ahmed Ali Brohi and Ghulam Nabi Qureshi, president of goldsmiths told Dawn that they would take out a procession on Friday and observe a shutter down strike on Saturday.

The Sindh Small Traders also issued a call of complete shutter down strike on Saturday.