SWABI: The people of Yar Hussain region here on Tuesday staged a protest demonstration and blocked the Swabi-Mardan and Chota Lahor-Yar Hussain roads against the killing of a local trader.

The incident occurred in the market area of Yar Husain village. The people gathered in the main market of Yar Hussain and blocked Chota Lahor-Yar Hussain road to traffic for hours. They chanted slogans against the killers and local police.

The two brothers, Zainab Ali and Haji Shah, were sitting in their shop late on Monday when two motorcyclists came and opened fire on them. As a result, Mr Ali was killed on the spot while Mr Shah suffered serious bullet injuries.

The injured trader said that the killers had demanded Rs5 million ransom from them, which they had refused to pay.

DPO claims assailants to be traced within three days

Local leaders of political parties and traders addressed the protesters and vowed that they fully supported the demand of the affected family. Later, they decided that it might be better to pressurise the law-enforcing agencies by blocking the main Swabi-Mardan road when talks with SP investigation and Razaar tehsil assistant commissioner failed.

They took the body and reached Adina bridge on Swabi-Mardan road, covering three kilometres on foot, and erected blockades there. The protesters placed body of the deceased on the road and threatened that they would not take it for burial till arrest of the killers. They demanded that the police should trace and arrest the assailants.

Addressing the protesters, former provincial minister Awwal Sher Khan said that it was responsibility of the government to provide security to the people and ensure arrest of the assailants.

Later, Awwal Sher, district nazim Zahid Khan, councillors and leaders of the protesters held talks with district police officer Khalid Hamdani. They demanded complete security for the people and registration of an FIR in the counter-terrorism department. The DPO assured the protesters that the killers would be traced within three days. After this assurance, the protesters dispersed peacefully.

Meanwhile, the commuters badly suffered due to blockade of the two roads.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2019