LAHORE - Traders on Thursday staged strong protest demonstration to condemn the killing of a shopkeeper who was shot dead by dacoits on offering resistance in the Shalimar area late Wednesday.
The traders of main bazaar Shalimar shut down their businesses on Wednesday and took to street to protest against the worsening law and order situation in the town. The protesters also chanted slogans against the police and the provincial government, demanding the Chief Minister to take notice of the situation and provide protection to the lives and properties of the public.
The shopkeeper, Muhammad Sohaib, riding on a motorcycle along with his brother Haroon was on his way home after closing the shop when two robbers stopped them in the main bazaar. The bandits held up both the brothers at gunpoint and demanded cash and valuables. As the victims tried to overpower the robbers, they opened straight fire on the traders and fled away from the crime scene on their motorcycle.  Both the brothers, said to be the resident of Basti Sayden Shah, sustained serious bullet wounds and were rushed to a hospital, where Sohaib was pronounced as brought dead. The police removed the body to the morgue for autopsy and are investigating with no arrest made yet.
Meanwhile, robbers continued their looting spree in the provincial metropolis on Thursday, robbed residences, looted families, and motorists and snatched away cash, gold ornaments and other valuables at gunpoint.
Five dacoits forced their entry into the house of Raja Altaf in Samanabad police area and took away cash and gold ornaments worth one million rupees after holding the inmates hostage at gunpoint.  Robbers also looted at gunpoint seven houses located in the Badami Bagh, Ravi Road, Qila Gujjar Singh, Garhi Shahu, Sanda, Ghaziabad, and Nishtar Colony police vicinities and made off with cash and gold ornaments worth Rs 3.5 million.  Two motorcyclists intercepted Ilyas and his family in the Shahdara police area and snatched away cash and gold ornaments worth Rs300,000.
Armed bandits riding on motorcycles also looted families in the Iqbal Town, Nawab Town, Nawan Kot, Mozang and Shadbagh police limits and fled after collecting cash and gold ornaments worth one million rupees.
Three cars were stolen away from Model Town, Defense, and Satu Katla police precincts while five motorcycles were either snatched or stolen away from South Cantonment, Shera Kot, Islampura, Old Anarkali, and Gujjarpura police areas.


ASHRAF JAVED