MIRPURKHAS: The Khipro-Umerkot section of highway remained closed to vehicular traffic for more than two hours on Sunday as scores of enraged Kolhi community members held a demonstration and sit-in over kidnapping of a woman and refusal by the area police to register their complaint.

Speaking to local reporters, the protesters said that a group of armed men broke into the house of a member of their community in the Khai area of Sindhri taluka and took away his wife, a mother of four. They said they went to the Khai police station of to lodge an FIR but were not obliged. They demanded immediate recovery of the woman and arrest of the kidnappers.

A number of other people gathered at the police station and argued with the personnel but to no avail.

Later, they proceeded to the nearby section of the highway in a rally and held a sit-in in the middle of the road. They also put up barricades to block it.

They kept raising slogans against kidnappers and the area police. They urged the higher authorities to order registration of their FIR.

A team of the Khai police held negotiations with them. The protesters dispersed peacefully when the police promised to register their complaint.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2022