Shopkeepers protest chicken vendor’s removal from market

Demonstration held for recovery of kidnapped man in Kassowal

FAISALABAD: Dozens of shopkeepers from the Jhang Road Model Bazaar staged a protest demonstration against the district administration on Saturday over the removal of a chicken shop from the market.

The protesters, holding banners and placards, gathered at Zila Council Chowk and staged a sit-in in front of the district government secretariat.

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Talking to newsmen, Naveed Ahmad said former DCO Naseem Sadiq had given him permission to set up a chicken shop in the model bazaar on Jhang Road. “I have been doing business there for several years and no one has bothered me.”

He said last week, some officials of the district administration had visited the market and had shut down his shop.

Ahmad said under the model bazaar rules, the spots were allocated after an auction.

“I won the site in the auction but the runner-up took the matter to court and obtained a stay against it,” he said. “I deposited Rs200,000 advance for the site. I asked them to let me set up shop in another spot but they said it was not possible.”

The protesters chanted slogans against the district administration and urged the chief minister to take notice of the situation. Later, a police team met the protesters and assured them that the issue would be addressed. The protesters dispersed on receiving this assurance.

Demonstration for recovery

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Scores of residents of Kassowal on Saturday staged a demonstration against Kandiwal police for failing to recover a man who was kidnapped for ransom in September.

Talking to newsmen, Zafar Iqbal, one of the protesters, said 20-year-old nephew Mazhar Abbas had been abducted from his house on September 28.

“We approached Kandiwal police over the matter but it has been three weeks and there seems to be no progress for his recovery,” he said.

The protesters chanted slogans against police and appealed to the chief minister the inspector general of police and the regional police officer Faisalabad to take notice of the situation.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 18^th, 2015.