Jacobabad city on Friday shut down after Hindu leader Lalchand Seetlani -- president of the Hindu Panchayat Committee (HPC) and his son, Shiva, accused of keeping and selling smuggled goods, were arrested.
Members of the Hindu community along with local businessmen took out a rally and held a sit-in led by HPC office-bearers and leaders of the local business community, including Jacobabad Chamber of Commerce president Mir Ali Ahmed Brohi, reported Dawn.
The protesters marched through various streets raising slogans against the Jacobabad Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP).
Traders and shopkeepers pulled down the shutters and joined in the rally. They held a sit-in at the main market of the city, reported Dawn.
A police team led by the SHO of the City police station tried to persuade the protesters to disperse peacefully but they demanded immediate release of the HPC president and his son, withdrawal of the "false" case against them and removal of the SSP. After a heated argument between the SHO and Brohi, the police team left the market.
After holding the sit-in for several hours, the protesters resumed their rally up to the local press club and apprised the media personnel of what they called excesses by the police, reported Dawn.
Brohi, Lalchand's brother Jumno Mal, Roshan Lal and others also spoke at a press conference in the club.
They said that the police had been harassing businessmen, traders and shopkeepers on different pretexts for the last two months. Amid heightening tension between the two sides, the SHO along with his subordinates raided Seetlanis' outlet, seized the merchandise and took Seetlani and his son Shiva to an undisclosed place, they said. They accused the SHO and his team of having kidnapped them at the behest of the SSP, reported Dawn.
They claimed that the SSP was victimising local traders, especially those belonging to the Hindu community, for criticising the bad performance of the Jacobabad police and resorting to excesses against innocent citizens.
The protestors warned that they would intensify their protest if appropriate action was not taken against the officers, reported Dawn.
( With inputs from ANI )
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