Traders shut shops after police turn market into a ‘battlefield’
Claim they mistook plainclothed policemen as kidnappers.
SUKKUR:
Sukkur’s cloth sellers decided to stage demonstrations against the police instead of attending to customers on Monday.
Major markets and business centres in the city, including the wholesale cloth market, Shahi Bazaar, Frere Road, Sarrafa Bazaar, Shaheed Ganj Electronic Market, Nishter Road and Bunder Road, remained closed as dozens of traders took part in a protest rally organised by the Sukkur Small Traders Association (SSTA), and later staged a demonstration at the Clock Tower roundabout.
They were protesting against law enforcers who reportedly registered cases against 50 traders on Sunday and trying to “kidnap” Shakeel Memon, a cloth trader, on Sunday.
B-section police had registered FIRs against 25 traders and another 25 unidentified people. SSTA president Jawed Memon, Haji Muhammad Haroon Memon, Abdul Qadir Shahvani, Abdul Sattar Memon, Shakeel Memon, Hanif Memon, Aslam Memon, Wasif Memon, Muhammad Fazil and Haji Muhammad Umer were among those who were nominated in the FIRs. However, no arrests were made.
Jawed Memon, who was nominated in the FIR, told the media on Monday that they were protesting against highhanded tactics used by a police party on the traders the day before. The initial scuffle broke out between shopkeepers and three plainclothed policemen after the law enforcers had raided Shakeel’s shop and asked him to accompany them.
The policemen left, but an hour later a heavy contingent of law enforcers under Sukkur ASP Raheem Shirazee raided the market. They used batons, tear gas shells and fired in the air to disperse the traders, who had already closed their shops, and were pelting them with stones.
ASP Shirazee claimed that FIR No. 110/2012 was registered against Shakir Memon and Shakeel Memon on fraud charges. Shakir was arrested this July for allegedly usurping millions of rupees from a rice mill owner and others. The police wanted to apprehend Shakeel in those charges. The officer had accused Shakeel and his colleagues of beating the plainclothed policemen and stealing their weapons and mobile phones when they came to his shop.
Jawed said that traders were not supporting any criminals, and said that the police should have contacted office bearers of the market if it had any suspicions. “However, plain clothed policemen raided Shakeel’s shop and tried to drag him away. The traders misunderstood the move as attempted kidnapping and attacked the policemen.”
Jawed also accused the police contingent of using disproportionate proportion against the traders, and alleged that police had registered “fake cases” against 50 traders, including members of the traders’ union.
He demanded the government take action against the policemen who had raided Shakeel’s shop as well as those “who had turned the cloth market into a battlefield by using tear gas shells and batons”. He added that the traders will continue their strike on Tuesday (today) if the cases against the traders were not withdrawn.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 11th, 2012.
Sukkur’s cloth sellers decided to stage demonstrations against the police instead of attending to customers on Monday.
Major markets and business centres in the city, including the wholesale cloth market, Shahi Bazaar, Frere Road, Sarrafa Bazaar, Shaheed Ganj Electronic Market, Nishter Road and Bunder Road, remained closed as dozens of traders took part in a protest rally organised by the Sukkur Small Traders Association (SSTA), and later staged a demonstration at the Clock Tower roundabout.
They were protesting against law enforcers who reportedly registered cases against 50 traders on Sunday and trying to “kidnap” Shakeel Memon, a cloth trader, on Sunday.
B-section police had registered FIRs against 25 traders and another 25 unidentified people. SSTA president Jawed Memon, Haji Muhammad Haroon Memon, Abdul Qadir Shahvani, Abdul Sattar Memon, Shakeel Memon, Hanif Memon, Aslam Memon, Wasif Memon, Muhammad Fazil and Haji Muhammad Umer were among those who were nominated in the FIRs. However, no arrests were made.
Jawed Memon, who was nominated in the FIR, told the media on Monday that they were protesting against highhanded tactics used by a police party on the traders the day before. The initial scuffle broke out between shopkeepers and three plainclothed policemen after the law enforcers had raided Shakeel’s shop and asked him to accompany them.
The policemen left, but an hour later a heavy contingent of law enforcers under Sukkur ASP Raheem Shirazee raided the market. They used batons, tear gas shells and fired in the air to disperse the traders, who had already closed their shops, and were pelting them with stones.
ASP Shirazee claimed that FIR No. 110/2012 was registered against Shakir Memon and Shakeel Memon on fraud charges. Shakir was arrested this July for allegedly usurping millions of rupees from a rice mill owner and others. The police wanted to apprehend Shakeel in those charges. The officer had accused Shakeel and his colleagues of beating the plainclothed policemen and stealing their weapons and mobile phones when they came to his shop.
Jawed said that traders were not supporting any criminals, and said that the police should have contacted office bearers of the market if it had any suspicions. “However, plain clothed policemen raided Shakeel’s shop and tried to drag him away. The traders misunderstood the move as attempted kidnapping and attacked the policemen.”
Jawed also accused the police contingent of using disproportionate proportion against the traders, and alleged that police had registered “fake cases” against 50 traders, including members of the traders’ union.
He demanded the government take action against the policemen who had raided Shakeel’s shop as well as those “who had turned the cloth market into a battlefield by using tear gas shells and batons”. He added that the traders will continue their strike on Tuesday (today) if the cases against the traders were not withdrawn.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 11th, 2012.