A shutter-down strike was observed in area of Lyallpur Town on Monday as mark of protest against Nazim Rana Zahid Mehmood, who has launched a special encroachment campaign against vendors belonging to poor masses and trying to provide car parking facility to big businessmen in Jhang Bazar.
Jhang Bazar and all cloth markets of the city remained closed completely, while other seven bazars around the Clock Tower was partially closed.
Vendors and shopkeepers of Jhang Bazar staged a protest demonstration and burnt effigy of Lyallpur Town Nazim and set old tyres on fire to block the roads leading to Clock Tower. Heavy contingents of police and elite force were deployed at strategic points and particularly at Chowk Clock Tower to prevent a sit in and blocking of the roads by the action committee of vendors and cloth merchants.
A rally was taken out from the Arshad Market, participated by large number of vendors. The protestors dispersed peacefully after speeches. There were no reports of any untoward incident from any part of the city, however, city police have rounded up more than ten persons.