FAISALABAD, Oct 8: The district, particularly city areas and major markets, now-a-days are in the grip of broad daylight robberies as Rs10.3 million have been looted in three incidents during the last as many days.

The crime situation has forced the Pakistan Yarn Merchant Association to announce a token strike on Tuesday (today) following another robbery on Monday in yarn market.

Reports said two dacoits barged into the shop of Naveed Ahmed at yarn market and made off with Rs650,000. The Rescue 15 did not respond immediately.

After the incident, PYMA called an impromptu meeting and decided to pull their shutters down in protest against the police failure to protect businessmen.

A source said following the announcement of strike call, DIG (operations) Mohammad Aslam Tareen rushed to the yarn market and assured PYMA that the incident would be traced within a week. He also announced establishment of a police post in the market and deployment of 25 constables in different bazaars attached to the yarn market.

On the complaints of PYMA, the DIG suspended inspector Mehdi Husain, ASI Naveed Ahmed and four constables M Arshad, Abdul Manan, Ikram and Arshad. He said the association members severely criticised the police, saying that the force did nothing for the community despite million of rupees worth of donations for different projects.

PYMA president Pervez Khalid told Dawn that traders were worried over the deteriorating law and order situation and two recent robberies had caused panic in the market.

He lamented that the police did not take traders into confidence prior to the security plan prepared for the last days of Ramazan.

On Saturday, five robbers looted Rs7.7 million from the cashier of a textile mills owned by ruling party MNA Asim Nazir’s family. A yarn market trader, Munir Ahmed, was also robbed of Rs2 million. Police are still clueless about the incidents.

Munir tried his utmost to get a case registered but the police termed the incident a drama. However, now the Rail Bazaar police have registered a case after the intervention of high-ups.

The DIG told this correspondent that the police were trying their utmost to nab the criminals and restore the confidence of traders.

He claimed that the police had found a clue to the Rs7.7 million robbery and would arrest the criminals soon.