Demonstration delayed: Sikhs postpone protest on Haroon Bilour’s word

Late minister’s son asks for two days to recover kidnapped businessman.

PESHAWAR: Members of the Sikh community from Quaidabad postponed their sit-in protest outside the Chief Minister House over the abduction of a businessman earlier this week after Haroon Bilour assured them of his safe return within two days.

The sit-in was to be held on Wednesday at around 11:30am to protest over the kidnapping of Rakbir Singh, a trader and shopkeeper in Karkhano market, who was kidnapped from outside his house.

“Haroon Bilour, the son of late Bashir Bilour, visited us and assured us that the police would try its level best. He gave two days to the police to secure the safe release of the man,” said Sahib Singh, a representative of the community and ex-member of the district council.

“SSP (Operations) Imran Shahid also visited us and assured us the police would take every step to protect the Sikh community in the city. As a first step, he ordered the local Shah Qabool police station to deploy 20 policemen in Mohalla Jogan Shah.”

He added that if Rakbir Singh was not recovered within two days, they would definitely go protest in front of the Chief Minister House.

“We welcome the assurance, as well as the deployment of 20 policemen in Jogan Shah. SHO of Shah Qabool police station previously declined to register an FIR regarding armed robberies, but has done so at last,” maintained Sahib Singh.

This is not the first such incident. The mutilated body of another Sikh businessman was found in a gunny bag in Choura Village of Jamrud tehsil earlier this month. The deceased was identified as Mahinder Singh, who had been missing since two months before he was found dead.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24^th, 2013.