KHAIRPUR, June 30: Protest-ers were baton-charged and five taken into custody when a procession by Soomro community tribesmen was taken out against police failure to recover a missing person, here on Monday.

They also staged a demonstration on Chandia Morr in jurisdiction of B-Section police station.

The demonstration was led by Ghulam Hussain Soomro, father of Jamil Soomro who went missing some five days ago from Mohalla Chandia Morr.

They blocked the road and set ablaze tyres leading to suspension of traffic. B-section police resorted to baton charge and took into custody Ghulam Hussain Soomro and four other persons.

Residents of Osta Gahi Mohalla took out another procession from Panj Hatti to Mariam Toap against non-recovery of taxi driver Munawar Ansari missing since last one week.

His family members, including his children said that Munawar was missing since some unidentified people hired his taxi from Khairpur, adding the vehicle was found from Shikarpur district giving rise to suspicion that he had been kidnapped.

Meanwhile, Shia Ulema Council leader Munawwar Shah said that a religious scholar of Khairpur, Syed Irshad Hussain Shah, his relative Zeeshan Shah and driver Abdul Majeed Jamali were kidnapped on June 16, while on way from Khairpur to Larkana.

He said Shia Ulema and relatives of Syed Irshad Shah met police officials of Larkana district and other districts but they had failed in recovering them. Shia Ulema and organisations had threatened to launch protest drive if kidnapped persons were not recovered within a week.