LARKANA: A shutterdown was observed in Larkana on Tuesday on a call given by the Jeay Sindh Mahaz-Riaz, led by Riaz Chandio, against deteriorating law and order situation in the city.

Most trade centres, shopping malls and business establishments in Jiles Bazaar, Resham Gali, Bundar Road, Shahi Bazaar, Royal Road, Gajanpur Chowk, Bakrani Road and Station Road, besides fuel stations, remained closed.

Small Traders’ Association held a protest demonstration outside Jinnah Bagh against failure of the police to check criminals’ activities and ensure safety of citizens.

JSM-R workers riding motorcycles kept patrolling on roads and in streets to ensure a total shutdown.

The strike call was given after several back-to-back violent robberies since January 29. A trader, Santosh Kumar, and a shopkeeper, Sanji Kumar, lost their lives while another shopkeeper, Ronuk Ahuja, is fighting for life in such incidents.

Dr Dayali Gul, Jai Ram (vice president of the Hindu Panchayat), Athar Soomro, Aziz-ur-Rehman Shaikh of JSM-R, Hafeez Samtio (a UC chairman) held a sit-in in the civil lines area.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2025