Protest halts traffic on Hawksbay Road as traders accuse police in Mauripur of negligence

Protesters accused police of incompetence, calling for the replacement of Mauripur's SHO.

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Traders and residents of Grex Market blocked both lanes of Hawksbay Road in protest against rising street crimes and alleged incompetence of the police in Mauripur.

Demonstrators, who also threw stones at police, accused the authorities of failing to provide protection after multiple robberies, including a recent heist at a beverage shop.

The protest was sparked by frustrations over the police's inability to curb crime, with shopkeepers citing incidents where robbers repeatedly targeted them.

The protestors claimed that despite several complaints, the police had failed to act, leaving them vulnerable to further criminal activity.

In a video statement, UC-3 Chairman Saifullah Noor said residents and traders were particularly incensed with SHO Chaudhry Tufail's performance.

The SHO has been accused of staging fake police encounters to cover up his department’s failures.

Noor alleged that the SHO had wrongfully arrested two innocent young men in a staged encounter and charged them with robbery.

The protest escalated, with demonstrators demanding that the SHO be replaced with a more competent officer and that a full investigation be conducted into allegations that he was behind several recent crimes in the area.

Some accused the SHO of staging robberies to extort money from innocent residents.

After the police assured them that the wrongful cases would be dismissed and their grievances addressed, the protestors dispersed, and normal traffic resumed on Hawksbay Road.