GUJRAT: Protesters kept the GT Road blocked for traffic for around six hours on Friday by placing the body of a trader on the highway at Bismillah Chowk, Kharian, who was murdered on Thursday night.

The protesters say it was fourth murder in the same family, but the police failed to arrest the culprits.

A trader of Kotla Arbab Ali Khan, Azam Buttar, had succumbed to his bullet injuries at the Kotla Civil Hospital after being injured in the firing by a group of outlaws at Buttar village in Kakrali police precincts.

He was returning home after closing his shop at Kotla, when he was targeted.

Earlier, three close relatives of the deceased had also been murdered and at least two others were critically injured in firing incidents during the last few years. Azam was complainant in most of the earlier cases, which had not been solved by the police so far.

The family members of the deceased trader said Azam was targeted by the same group that had earlier gunned down his three relatives, for pursuing their cases.

The protesters, including the family members of the deceased, had also staged a demonstration at Kotla town and refused to lodge any case in protest.

On Friday, they placed the dead body on the GT Road and blocked it for traffic for six hours.

Women were also among the protesters, who refused to hold talks with the local police.

Later, Gujrat DPO Asad Muzaffar and other senior officials also reached the spot and held talks with them after former adviser to chief minister Naeem Raza Kotla and ex-MPA Shabeer Kotla became guarantors and convinced the protesters for a dialogue.

The senior police officers gave a written assurance to the protesters that police would arrest the suspects within a month.

After the agreement, the protesters dispersed and police shifted the body to the Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital for autopsy. After the protest ended, the traffic was restored on the GT Road.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2023