SUKKUR, March 10: Hundreds of political activists and journalists here on Wednesday took out a protest procession against police failure to recover kidnapped newsman Shahbaz Pathan and his friend Naveed Mangi.

Besides journalists, activists of the People's Party Parliamentarians, Jamaat-i-Islami, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz and Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party participated in the procession.

The participants, after marching through main thoroughfares of the city, reached outside the DIG office, where office-bearers of the Sukkur Press Club and political leaders delivered speeches.

The journalists' representatives, Jawed Memon, Shahid Ali, Syed Mushtaq Gilani and others spoke on the occasion. They said that during the recent visit of Sukkur by Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, IGP Syed Kamal Shah had told journalists that the kidnappers had been identified and the hostages would be recovered in 48 hours but nothing had been done as yet.

They gave the police an ultimatum of 72 hours for recovering the hostages and threatened otherwise agitation would be launched throughout Sindh. The journalists, through a resolution, alleged that the T-section SHO was in league with criminals and demanded his suspension.

Later at a meeting, newsmen decided that if the police failed to meet the 72-hour deadline, they would boycott official activities and call for a province-wide protest movement.