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KASUR, May 17: The protesting lawyers and traders got panicky when a police constable allegedly opened fire on them here on Thursday at Chunian. Reports said Chunian bar members and traders were taking out a rally from main bazaar Balloo Ram Chowk to Tehsil Nazim office. The protesters holding banners and placards were chanting slogans against Gen Musharraf, MQM leader Altaf Husain, price hike and lawlessness, demanding reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
When the procession was passing across tehsil courts, constable Hakim Ali, who was standing at the rooftop of `Bakhshi Khana’ allegedly fired a shot which created panic among the protesters. No injuries were reported.
Later, the police arrested Hakim Ali and registered a case against him.
SHUTTERDOWN: On the call of Pattoki Markazi Anjuman Tajiran president Mian Rehmat Ali, hundreds of shopkeepers observed a shutterdown strike here on Thursday.
Reports said druggists, medical store association, cloth and shoes merchants chanted slogans against the police failure to check crime in the area.
Speaking to newsmen, they said robberies in Sara-i-Mughal, Halla, Hanjarai Kalan, Bhoopewal Theeng, Chak No.7, Dev Sial and Shamsabad had become a routine matter and police were not taking any action against culprits.
Two days ago, dacoits shot at and injured cell phone shop owner on offering resistance on Allama Iqbal Road.
They said over a dozen dacoity incidents had taken place during a week.
They said DSP Khalid Mahmood had held a press conference and claimed to arrest dacoits within 24 hours.
When contacted, Kasur DPO Tariq Abbas Qureshi said some anti-police elements, including gambling mafia, were creating a law and order situation in the area to defame the police.
