KHAIRPUR, Dec 13: A group of bandits looted a Bahawal-nagar-bound passenger coach late on Wednesday night on the National Highway near Waris Gambhir in the jurisdiction of B-section police station.

Reports said that the passenger coach was on its way from Karachi to Punjab when armed men tried to stop it near Waris Gambhir. Sensing danger, the driver tried to speed up the vehicle. The bandits, however, opened fire on the vehicle and forcibly stopped it. They deprived the passengers of cash, mobile phones and other valuables.

Later, the passengers staged demonstration to protest against the incident and blocked the National Highway, which led to suspension of traffic on both tracks.

A passenger Munir Ahmed Jhak, resident of Sadiqabad, lodged an FIR with the B-Section police station on Thursday against unidentified armed men.

SYC: Sachal Yadgar Commi-ttee (SYC) Khairpur has expressed concern over non-payment of salaries to the employees of Auqaf department deputed at the shrine of Sufi Sachal Sarmast in Daraza Sharif for the last four months.

Maula Bux Larik, Secretary of SYC and other members told journalists on Thursday that if the employees did not get their salaries, they would not be able to celebrate Eid-ul- Azha.

They said that the roof and walls of the rest house located in Daraza Sharif were in bad shape and needed repair. They said the old auditorium hall at the Daraza Sharif was also in a dilapidated condition. They demanded of the authorities to take notice of the problems immediately.

GAS PRESSURE: Dozens of citizens led by Khairpur Shehri Ittehad Chairman Abdul Qayoom Shaikh along with the President of Muttahida Mazdoor Federation, Comrade Shahbaz Dino Phulpoto, staged a demonstration at civic centre chowk on Thursday against multiple problems being faced by the people of upper Sindh.