Dacoits-infested district protests against lawlessness

HYDERABAD:

Kashmore-Kandhkot, one of the two districts highly infested by the riverine bandits, observed a shutter down strike for a second day on Saturday as citizens took to streets to stage a protest against the lawlessness and crimes. The protesters converged outside the local press club where they chanted slogans against the government's indifference towards the crimes of extortion, kidnappings and robberies which they claimed have become a daily occurrence.

The strike and protest call was given by the All Parties Movement and Shehri Ittehad. Dr Mehar Chand, Dilmurad Dahani and other speakers at the demonstrations said the engineered lawlessness in their region has become evident as the outlaws have been given carte blanche by the police and other law enforcement agencies to perpetrate their crimes.

"The people, specifically traders, are being compelled to leave Kandhkot-Kashmore and move to other cities because the police have decided not to take any meaningful action against the dacoits," said Chand. He claimed that many people have already relocated from their abodes in Kashmore, Tangwani and Ghauspur areas.

Dahani said the tribal tentacles over the urban and rural areas are becoming stronger by the day owing to the political connections of the tribal chieftains. Ghulam Mustafa Mirani said if the government is sincere in addressing the serious problem of lawlessness it should immediately start a drive to disarm the entire region. The protestors announced that they would continue to hold token demonstrations on a daily basis until the government addressed their concerns.