SUKKUR: Leaders of Hindu General Panchayat and Chamber of Commerce Jacobabad on Wednesday gave ultimatum to police to arrest killers of Mahesh Kumar within 24 hours, else they will stage protests and observe shutter-down strike in the city.

Panchayat president Lal Chand Seetlani and chamber’s head Mir Ahmed Ali Brohi flanked by the victim’s father Ashok Kumar said at a joint press conference at Jacobabad Press Club that Mahesh was killed after ruthless torture and his body trussed up in a sack and set on fire at a deserted place in Dangar Mohalla a week ago.

The torched body was identified after an entire day after which the administration handed it over to heirs and a case was registered at city police station, they said.

They said that lawlessness had become order of the day in Jacobabad where incidents of robbery and theft had become almost a daily routine. A few days back, a youth, Hafiz Iftikhar Lashari, was also injured by a gang of armed robbers when he put up resistance to dacoits’ attempt to snatch his motorcycle. The youth later succumbed to his injuries, they said.

‘Else they will stage protests and observe shutter-down strike in the city’

They said that police had completely failed to control lawlessness and people had been left at the mercy of criminals. The incidents of crime had shot up particularly after Jacobabad deputy commissioner started demolishing houses and rendering people homeless, they said.

Later, SSP Mohammad Tariq Nawaz met Hindu leaders at Panchayat Hall and assured them that police had reached the culprits who would be caught within a few hours, but their identities could not be made public at this stage.

PSP rally against lawlessness

Activists of Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) took out a rally in Jacobabad on Wednesday in protest against worsening law and order conditions in the city.

The rally started from the party’s office and reached local press club where the participants held a sit-in and blocked road.

PSP leaders Zaheer Ahmed Jakhrani, Aslam Mugheri, Kareem Bux Pathan and others said that lawlessness reigned supreme in Jacobabad. Two men were killed mercilessly in the town within a few days. Mahesh Kumar was killed after torture and torched and Hafiz Iftikhar Lashari was injured critically and later succumbed to wounds when criminals fired at him on his refusal to let go of his motorcycle, they said.

They said that in the absence of police action, incidents of motorcycle snatching and other crimes had become a daily routine and they had deepened a sense of insecurity among citizens.

They said that criminals had become so audacious they were now killing people with impunity after committing robbery because they had apparently no fear of police catching them. They demanded Sindh IGP, Larkana DIG and other higher authorities concerned control lawlessness and take stern action against inefficient and incompetent police officials. Killers of Mahesh Kumar and Hafiz Iftikhar Lashari be arrested immediately, they said.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2021