SHO injured trying to free abducted men

JACOBABAD: SHO Fida Hussain was injured in crossfire between the police and armed criminals within the limits of the Dodapur police station.

On Saturday, the police had received an anonymous tip-off, informing them that a number of people, who had been kidnapped from Shikarpur and Balochistan and were being held hostage in the area of Gulab Malghani in Dodapur, were being transferred to an undisclosed location in Balochistan. The kidnappers opened fire at the police when they saw a team of seven law enforcers arrive at the scene. Hussain was injured during an ensuing exchange of fire while the rest of the officials were surrounded by the criminals, who eventually managed to escape.

According to sources, the police officials were unable to free any of the abducted men, which included police official Ali Ahmed Kakepota, Qurban Chauhan, Abdul Latif Parro, Abdul Qadir Sanjurani, Suneel Kumar and Khadim Bhaiyo.

Residents of Shikarpur held a protest demonstration at Lakhidar on Saturday against police inefficiency in finding kidnapped people.

They protested against elected representatives from Shikarpur, including provincial ministers Agha Siraj Durrani, Agha Taimur Khan and Pir abid hussain Jatoi as well MNA Aftab Durrani who, they alleged, had run away from their responsibilities in the district and were now hiding in Karachi and Islamabad.  They said they have no one whom they could take their problems to.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2010.