FAISALABAD:
Hundreds of residents and traders of Garh Fateh Shah on Thursday staged a protest demonstration against police over late arrival at a crime scene which they said had allowed armed assailants to escape after firing shots at a local hotel.
The traders shut down their shops and staged a sit-in on Garh-Faisalabad Road for hours.
Talking to newsmen Manzoor Ahmad, owner of the hotel, said Phool Cheema and his accomplices had come to his hotel and taken dinner.
He said they shot at the waiter when he asked them to pay the bill.
He said the hotel workers called police for help.
“My staff made four calls to the police station but they took an hour and a half to respond,” he said. .
He said the delay allowed the offenders to escape.
Traders burnt old tyres and blocked Garh-Faisalabad Road for traffic by erecting blockades.
The Tandlianwala DSP visited the scene and assured the protesters that the men would arrested soon and taken to task in accordance with law.
The DSP also assured them that action would be taken against policemen who had received the call but were late in reaching the scene.
On this assurance, the traders called off their protest and dispersed.
The Garh SHO said a case had been registered against six men, including Phool Cheema.
He said a team had been formed to find and arrest the men.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 21st, 2014.
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