SUKKUR: The protest launched by All Parties Movement in Kandhkot a day before over unbridled crimes across Kandhkot-Kashmore district continued on the second day running on Thursday when a large number of members of political, nationalist, religious and social organisations and rights activists took part in a procession for peace.

The local alliance of different parties and groups had started the agitation in the wake of reports the town’s business community was receiving threatening chits from bandits with demands for payment of protection money.

Waving white flags, the protesters started the procession from local press club against rising crimes of robbery, kidnapping, theft and extortion from business community, and reached Clock Tower after marching on different roads where the leaders made speeches.

The protesters’ leaders Dil Murad Dahani, Dr Mahar Chand, Maulvi Muhammad Ibrahim Khaki, Santosh Agarwal and others said that they had taken to the streets for the sake of peace and elimination of bandit rule from the city.

They said that a conspiracy was being hatched to destroy peace in the city. Thanks to rampant lawlessness, dacoits and criminals had now become so emboldened that they were contacting traders, businessmen, shopkeepers and citizens directly, demanding protection money without fear of police, they said.

They said that the extortion had forced business community to migrate from Kandhkot to other cities or leave Pakistan for other countries if they could. Indeed, several families had already left Kandhkot-Kashmore district, they recalled.

They regretted that despite having complete knowledge of the state of affairs the district police were acting as silent spectators as if they were partners in crime.

They said that media was reporting day in and day out about the threatening chits the traders and businessmen were receiving yet it had not stirred police from their deep slumber.

Even local politicians and other authorities concerned had not taken any notice of unstoppable crimes and demands for protection money in Kandhkot, Tangwani, Ghouspur and others areas, they lamented.

Compelled by the worsening conditions “we have now started the protest movement against extortion, abduction, theft, robbery and dacoities,” they said.

They vowed to continue the protests, demonstrations and processions till complete peace was restored across the district.

They appealed to rulers to beware of growing unrest in the district and take immediate measures to bring back peace to the crime-infested city.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2024