MULTAN, Jan 1: While most parts of the province are simmering with anti-loadshedding protests, traders of Multan on Thursday kept the shutters down and took out a rally against high robbery incidence and the police’s ‘reluctance’ to register cases.

The strike was observed on the call of the Chamber of Small Traders and the protesters, holding banners and placards, chanted slogans against the police for failing to arrest crime in the city.

Led by chamber’s district president Khalid Qureshi, the protesters marched on the city roads and staged a sit-in at Katchery Chowk, where they threw traffic out of gear for more than an hour. The police pacified the traders by giving assurance of immediate arrest of the robbers. Just three days ago, fourteen dacoits, armed with sophisticated weapons, came to a known cell phone centre and, after holding the security guard hostage, broke open the locks of two shops and took away cash, mobile phones, calling cards and other accessories worth Rs5 million.—Staff Correspondent