MARDAN, Feb 11: A complete shutter-down was observed by the traders community at Hoti Bazaar following the brutal killing of a prominent trader here on Monday.

Sher Mohammed and his brother Khan Bahadur, rice and pulses dealers at Hoti, were on the way to their house at Muqam Mandi, when some robbers opened fire on them. As a result Sher Mohammed died on the spot and his brother (Khan Bahadur) received bullet injuries who was admitted to a local hospital.

According to reports the merchant was killed as he refused to pay gunda tax to an unidentified gang of of Mardan.

However, the family members are tight-lipped over the killing of the trader and the identification of robbers.

The traders’ community observed the shutter-down in the main Bazaar, which stretches from Mir Agzal Khan Bazaar to Hoti Bridge, and business remained closed for the whole day. Ihsan Bachaa, president of the Markazi Tanzeem Tajiran Mardan (MTTM) expressed his concern over the law and order situation.

He disclosed that he wanted a deadline to set for the recovery of the killers of their colleague but the district police officer, Liaqat Khan, has assured the trader community that the culprits will be arrested soon.

He said that MTTM was going to hold talks with the officials of law enforcing agencies for the recovery of the culprits and if they fail to satisfy the traders community then they will take their action which can be both general strike and protest in the district till the recovery of the robbers.