All Pakistan Organisation of Small Traders and Cottage Industries (APOSTCI) Sindh on Saturday strongly protested against looting Rs 1.6 million from its president and warned if looted money was not recovered besides arrest of bandits, it will be compelled to initiate strong protest including demonstrations, sit-ins and hunger strike all over the country.
APOSTCI Sindh President, Mashooq Ali Jatoi told a news conference at Karachi Press Club (KPC) that he drew US$27,000 (Rs 1.6 million) on June 9, 2004 from a local bank branch located at I. I. Chundrigar Road and when he reached near Old Queens Road, two armed bandits intercepted his car and looted the money on gun point.
He said he handed them one bundle of notes but bandits were aware that he had more money and asked him for giving them for rest of money. "Bandits knew that how much money I was carrying, which proves that someone in the bank tipped them", he added.
According to him, police did not co-operate when he approached them for registration of FIR and hardly registered FIR but did not take any action. "I approached new Sindh Chief Minister and told him all about the case. He assured me that serious action would be taken" he maintained.
He maintained that many of the traders has shifted abroad and they have shifted their money to other countries because of the law and order situation in the country. If lives and properties of the people will not be safe in country how they would like to stay here and invest money, he questioned.
Jatoi said if government could not provide security to the traders it had no right to ask for taxes from traders.
He demanded Sindh Governor, Chief Minister, IG police to arrest gangs of bandits, moving freely and depriving people of their valuables and recover looted money.
"If bandits involved in looting Rs 1.6 million from me are not arrested we will stage protest demonstrations and hunger strike on June 15, 2004 in front of press clubs all over the province" he warned adding that a traders' convention will also be held and if the problem will not be solved the traders will stage country-wide shutter down strike.