Child’s killing triggers protest in Lakki

LAKKI MARWAT: The killing of a four-year-old boy, who had been kidnapped a month ago, triggered protests in Gandi Khankhel locality of the Naurang town on Sunday, prompting the angry people to close the busy Indus Highway for several hours.

Awais, 4, had been kidnapped from Gandi Khankhel locality a month ago and the local police had arrested an alleged kidnapper after registering a case at the Shaheed Asmatullah Khan Khattak Police Station.

On Sunday morning, the mutilated body of the child was found in the fields near the village, which sparked protests in the area.

Announcements were made through loudspeakers from the mosques and a large number of people including women came out of houses and gathered on Indus Highway at Gandi Chowk point.

Villagers also blocked roads at Manjiwala Chowk, Serai Gambila and Muslim Bagh while a group of youth held a demonstration against the child’s killing incident in Lakki city.

At Gandi Chowk, the protesters closed the highway for vehicular traffic, forcing transporters to queue up their vehicles on both sides of the main artery connecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with the rest of the country.

They also kept Bannu-Dera Ismail Khan road closed for traffic and burnt tyres.

The protesters set on fire building of police post in Gandi Chowk and pelted police vehicles with stones, prompting law enforcers to fire gunshots into the air and use tear gas and batons to control the situation.

Commuters, especially those who were travelling to destinations after the Eid holidays, were the main sufferers as many had to return.

District nazim Iqbal Hussain, naib nazim Haji Arab Khan, MNA Maulana Muhammad Anwar and other political leaders rushed to the place. They assured the protesters all-out cooperation in bringing the culprits to justice. On the occasion, the speakers condemned the kidnapping and brutal murder of the innocent child and held police responsible for such incidents. They said that the area police had badly failed to control crimes and go after the gangs of kidnappers and outlaws in the district.

“During last, one month police did not make serious efforts for recovery of the kidnapped boy who was ultimately killed by captors,” said one of the elders. Later elders held talks with Deputy Commissioner Jehangir Azam Wazir and District Police Officer Qasim Ali Khan at the Serai Gambila Police Station.

They demanded suspension of Naurang Circle DSP and Station House Officer of Shaheed Asmatullah Khan Khattak Police Station, transparent and quick investigation into the incident and arrest of the killers.

After successful talks with police and administration officials, the elders failed to convince protesters to end agitation and open highway for traffic.