Strike called off: DPO pacifies arms dealers

MANSEHRA: Arms dealers of the city called off their strike against alleged police highhandedness on Monday when the DPO assured them their grievances would be assuaged. Over 150 registered arms dealers of the district had gone on a complete shutter down strike on Sunday, claiming harassment by the police under a specific section of the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance. They had accused the police of booking dealers on fictitious cases and announced to continue the strike indefinitely if their colleagues were not released. Led by the president of the Arms Dealers Association Inayat Khan and president Mansehra Anjuman Tajran Haji Haroon, a delegation of arms dealers met DPO Khurram Rasheed and apprised him of their problems. The DPO assured them of fair play and said police officers found implicating them in fake cases would be taken to task. He also ordered an inquiry into the cases registered against the traders.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 18^th, 2014.