LAHORE, June 4: The family and relatives of the three men who were murdered in Gujjarpura last week staged a demonstration outside the Lahore Press Club on Wednesday to protest the police failure in arresting the nominated killers and continuous life threats from them.

In line with their past style of protest, the protesters, including women and children, reached the press club on a tractor-trolley, blocked the road for about 20 minutes and raised slogans against the police. The protesters, led by Muhammad Shaukat, were carrying banners inscribed with complaints that the police had failed to arrest the killers of Muhammad Azam, Muhammad Ameen and Shaukat of Karol village and five other people killed sometime ago.

Chief Minister Sardar Dost Muhammad Khosa had promised on May 29 that the killers would be arrested within 24 hours, but the police have not arrested any of the main accused so far.

Last week, the protesters reached Governor’s House on two tractor-trolleys and a pickup, placed the bodies of the three murdered men on the road, staged there a three-hour protest and burnt tyres.

Eight members of Shaukat’s family, including his three brothers, have been assassinated by the rival Bao Azeem family.

Shaukat told Dawn by phone that main accused Maqsood, son of Bao Azeem, Afzal, Rafique and Amjad were hurling life threats at him and his family through telephone and people. He said the police conducted several raids to arrest them, but failed to arrest any of the wanted men.

Asked if the police had arrested nominated accused Rafique and Irfan, Shaukat said the police arrested Irfan alone on May 29, the day three men of his family were murdered, adding that the man was also nominated in a triple-murder case registered against him in February 2006.

Shaukat’s nephew Ejaz Haider alleged that policemen were informing the accused about the raids beforehand and giving them time to flee.