Extortionists burn down shop in Lea Market

Karachi
Traders and shopkeepers hailing from Lyari and Lea Market areas were baton-charged and subjected to teargas shelling on Thursday when they protested against burning of a shoe store by armed men near Ghareeb Shah’s mausoleum in Lyari’s Kalakot area.
Unidentified armed men doused a shoe store with petrol before setting it ablaze, near Ghareeb Shah’s mausoleum in Kalakot area of Lyari on Thursday evening for participating in a strike-cum-protest against extortionists.
This blatant threat by extortionists fuelled the protesters’ anger even more and they held another demonstration in which they chanting slogans against the Sindh government and law-enforcement agencies for failing to protect them.
The trades blocked main roads around Lea Market, disrupting vehicular traffic and causing massive traffic jam in the area, as a heavy contingent of police and Rangers rushed to the scene and attempted to disperse them.
The protesters paid no heed and carried on with their demonstration for three to four hours. A deadlock between the angry traders and police ensued after which the law enforcers resorted to a heavy baton charge, aerial firing and teargas shelling, causing moderate injuries to many of the protesters. Several traders were also taken into custody.
A representative of the Lea Market Traders’ Association, Ahtesham Baloch, while talking to The News said they had organised a protest against extortionists on Wednesday.
As a response, the gangsters on Thursday set ablaze the shop of Haji Khalil.
He said the shop was close the Rangers picket in the area but the personnel did not intervene as the armed gangsters threatened to burn down their houses if they continued to raise a hue and cry against them.
“Shoes worth between Rs300,000 and 400,000 were burnt but nobody came to poor shopkeeper’s rescue,” he said. “When we protested afterwards, the police baton-charged us, used teargas and arrested our colleagues.”
Owner of the unfortunate shop, Haji Khalil, said he sold sandals and shoes imported from Thailand and Italy and he had now gone bankrupt.
Senior police officials were not available for comment but Kalakot SHO Haji Sanaullah said he had heard about torching of the shop by armed men but claimed that no one had approached the police to register a case for the incident.
Kharadar SHO Zafar Iqbal said several protestors had been taken into custody for the disruption of law and order.
He said consultations with senior police officials were under way for registering a case against the arsonists.