Traders' killing sparks mass protest

Locals blame govt for deploying police from region for security of Zardari's public meeting

KARACHI: For a region where the crime of murder during robbery has remained alien for a long time, the killing of two trader brothers in Tharparkar on Friday entailed a shock wave. Commercial and other routine activities in the desert Tharparkar district came to a halt. The roads connecting Mithi, the district's headquarters, with Badin and Mirpurkhas were blocked.

The day dawned with the news of the killing of Dilip Kumar Maheshwari and Chandar Maheshwari, who traded in crop seeds. According to the police and local traders, two unidentified assailants riding a motorcycle tried to snatch a bag filled with cash from the brothers who were opening their shop near the local press club.
Both sustained gunshots while resisting the robbery bid. Dilip was killed on the spot while Chandar succumbed to his wounds in Civil Hospital, Mithi.

The local community, traders and representatives of political and nationalist parties immediately resorted to protest by shutting down shops. The reaction instantly gripped Islamkot, Diplo, Chachro, Kaloi and Naukot talukas besides Mithi.

"We will not leave until the police arrest the killers," shouted traders' representatives Vikram Karmani, Bhawani Langhani, Vikram Rathi and others who led the sit-in. The officials of the local administration and the police approached the protesters but to no avail.

The sit-in also stopped a caravan of several vehicles leaving Mithi to join Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) public meeting in Mirpurkhas district where Asif Ali Zardari addressed the supporters.

The traders complained that the police arrived at the crime scene too late, adding that the belated police action allowed the assailants to escape. "Instead of arresting the suspects, the SSP preferred to give us threats. The SSP said he will nominate people participating in the sit-in in the murder FIR," said Karmani.



Eventually, PPP MPA Mahesh Kumar Malani, who was sent back from Mirpurkhas, succeeded in ending the sit-in. He assured that the culprits will be arrested within 24 hours. "If this doesn't happen, I will join the protest myself," he pledged.

Malani said the killing was a very sad and condemnable incident. "This seems like a big conspiracy. We will arrest the culprits and unveil the scheme." The traders said they have ended the sit-in after the assurance but the shutter down strike will continue.

They announced three days of mourning. "We will resume the sit-in on Saturday if the police fails," Rathi told the local media.



The Tharparkar district bar association also announced a day of mourning and postponed the bar elections scheduled for today (Saturday).

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's provincial leader MNA Lal Malhi claimed that under a conspiracy, Tharparkar region's peace and harmony are being destroyed. "A multi-faceted inquiry of the incident is required."

He blamed the PPP's provincial government for deploying a large number of policemen from the region to Mirpurkhas for security of the party's public meeting which was addressed by Zardari.



Arbab Inayatullah of the politically influential Arbab group blamed the police for leaving Mithi and other rural towns unprotected as they were deployed at the Mirpurkhas public meeting.

The incident's FIR could not be registered till Friday evening.

The bodies were handed over to the family after postmortem.