A sudden increase in rate of dacoities in posh business centers in the presence of well equipped law enforcing agencies have invited local traders for strong revolt against the pathetic police attitude and nine main trader bodies have announced complete shutter down and observance of set-in against police failure in curbing dacoities.
Traders and shopkeepers are the view that policemen in disguise of dacoits were busy in looting traders and dacoities at wide scale even traders held policemen red handed for depriving traders from cash.
Pakistan Traders Alliance (PTA) has announced sealing of city's main entry Chowk Khumanranwala on Multan-Lahore Road on Sunday in case the involved dacoits were not arrested.
The vehicle lifting including motor cars and bikes has also been growing rapidly in Multan and become a major crime in the presence of tight patrolling and equipping cops with most sophisticated tools but the average rate of cars lifting is three cars in each 36 hours, said official statistics.
About 123 cars besides dozens of motor bikes have been stolen during the 12 months of last year. On the other hand, the Cantonment traders also threatened if the dacoits are not prevented that they would go on strike for indefinite period.
The PTA chairman Khawaja Muhammad Shafiq told this scribe that nine trader bodies include Samijabad Muthidda Anjuman Tajran, Gulshan market traders, Al-Flah market traders, Jinnah market traders, Hassanabad, Khumranwala, Baqarabad and Shah Rukin Allam trader bodies would take out protest rally against police apathy.
The traders will completely observe shutter down, he added.
He said that about three dacoits deprived a trader Obaidur Rehman from cash of Rs 5,63,000 in a day light when he was cleaning his shop in the Chowk bazaar ten days ago.
He said that police were repeatedly contacted for tracing the dacoits but none of serious could be initiated despite lapsing ten days.
He observed no doubt the Multan DPO Hamid Mukhtar Gondal was a responsible and an honest officer but lower level corruption in police stations was increasing constantly with out any strong check.
The PTA office bearer Khalid Qureshi said that policemen in disguise of dacoits were committing dacoities.
He further said that two policemen of the New Multan police station intercepted Samijabad trader Munir Ahmed on last Wednesday and demanded Rs 50,000.
The trader requested to walk with him to his house for taking cash from home safe when they reached in the area the neighbours and his relatives seized the policemen.
The DPO Hamid Mukhtar Gondal ordered SDPO Habib Khan and area SHO Saifullah Gujjar for producing both the policemen but residents refused to hand over them. Later, the DPO suspended both the policemen, he said.
The Cantonment traders' association president Malik Nazir Awan threatened for protest strike for not preventing the sudden increase in dacoities. He said the Cantonment traders would leave the rest of traders alone in their struggle against poor law and order situation and increasing dacoities.
Senior police officials held new Police Ordinance responsible for creating hurdles in the way of frequent investigation which also divided entire police force from bottom to up levels.
Kup police station Muharar Muhammad Ashiq while responding to Chowk bazaars' dacoity claimed their failure in tracing the dacoits.
He said that 3-4 suspects were held during the investigation but they were proved guilty and released them later.