Traders protest kidnapping, robberies in Quetta

OliKolm

QUETTA: Hundreds of activists of Balochistan Traders Association (BTA) staged a protest demonstration at Manan Chowk, on Saturday, against increasing incidents of kidnapping of traders for ransom and robberies in the city.
A rally led by BTA leaders Qayyum Agha, Allah Dad and others marched through various roads of the city and blocked roads by torching tyres after a failed attempt to kidnap a trader.
Unidentified armed men tried to kidnap a renowned trader, Mehdi Hazara, at Suraj Ganj Bazaar, but people gathered at the spot and foiled the kidnapping attempt.
According to eyewitnesses, the kidnappers armed with sophisticated weapons were riding a white-colour-car, which was bearing an official number plate.
Following the incident, the shopkeepers closed their shops and set tyres on fire on Jinnah Road. The protesters were chanting slogans against government and administration, demanding strict action against those involved in kidnapping.
The protesters said that the government had left Quetta city at the mercy of the kidnappers, who had made the lives of people miserable. They said that would-be kidnappers gunned down a trader named Zohib Bohra, last week and the police could not arrest the killers.
They said that government was not taking any action against criminals who were roaming in the city with impunity, and warned, if immediate actions were not taken against criminals, people would have to take up guns for their safety.

Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk