GUJRANWALA, Dec 5: Jewellers and other shopkeepers of Sarafa Bazaar continued for the second successive day on Monday shutter down strike in protest against the killing of a jeweller by robbers. Jeweller Haji Nadeem, 30, of Sultanpura, Guru Nanakpura, was going to the market by his motorcycle carrying a bag containing Rs1.8 million in cash and gold weighing 50 tolas worth Rs550,000. He was intercepted by two motorcyclists on Sadiq Road who snatched the bag. The robbers shot and killed Nadeem when he put up resistance and escaped.
Nadeem was the father of three minor children.
Shopkeepers of Sarafa Bazaar and adjacent markets closed their shops on Sunday and blocked the traffic on GT Road near Gondlanwala Chowk by placing the body on the road and setting old tyres to fire.
Later, they placed the body on Hospital Road near Munir Chowk and blocked the traffic. They smashed windowpanes of some buildings and chanted slogans against police.
DPO Dr Arif Mushtaq and other officers reached the spot and assured the protesters that the killers would be arrested soon and took the body to DHQ hospital for autopsy. Baghbanpura police have registered a case.
Meanwhile, the DPO constituted three teams to arrest the killers.
It is learnt that Nadeem’s father Haji Sharif and uncle Shafi were killed by robbers some 15 years. But the accused have not yet been arrested.
The family and people of the area alleged that police officials took away the bag containing cash and gold which the robbers dropped while fleeing in hurry.
However, the DPO denied the allegation.
Sarafa Association chairman Feroze Din, president Hafiz Akram and general secretary Haji Nawaz warned during a news conference held here on Monday that they would continue their strike and march on roads till the arrest of the killers.
convicted: Seven people were convicted of murder by the anti-terrorism court No 2 on Monday.
According to the prosecution convicts Ghulam Mustafa,
Tariq Mahmood, Jafar
Husain, Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Akram, Shahbaz Ahmad and Fakhar alias Fakhroo had killed Mahmoodul Hasan, Riffat Iqbal, Tufail Ahmad Khan, Muhammad Rafiq, Muhammad Riaz, Muhammad Yousaf and Saeed Ahmad over an old enmity in a Wahandoo village on April 19, 2001. They were sentenced to life imprisonment.
The court acquitted their co-accused Zahid Husain, Saifullah, Faisal Mahmood and Allah Ditta by giving them the benefit of the doubt.