RAWALPINDI: Traders of Dhoke Syedan staged a protest against street crime and including burglaries, and blocked Tench Bhatta Road by setting tyres on fire on Wednesday.

Protesters came on the road at 11pm with placards in their hands, demanding police security and arrest of criminals.

The traders claimed that they had been deprived of their valuables and cash by burglars who broke into their shops Tuesday night.

“Burglaries have become a routine in Dhoke Syedan as police are unable to trace the culprits and recover the goods,” a trader told Dawn.

The protesters marched on Tench Bhatta Road, causing gridlock on either sides of the road.

Later, Haji Zafar Iqbal, member cantonment board, intervened in the matter and assured them that the police would arrest the culprits and recover their stolen goods.

Following the assurance, the protesters dispersed peacefully.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2017