Traders protest killing of Haleem Jan

CHARSADDA/NOWSHERA:  The traders’ bodies staged rallies in Charsadda and Nowshera on Thursday to protest the recent target-killing of a prominent trade leader Haji Haleem Jan in Qissa Khwani.

The Muttahida Shopkeepers Federation took out protest rally in Charsadda city. Led by the Muttahida Shopkeepers Federation president Hakeemullha Khan, Kausar Khan and Salih Shah Bacha, the protesters carrying banners and placards chanted slogans against the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for not providing security to the traders.

They marched through various bazaars and gathered at the Farooq Azam Chowk. Speaking on the occasion, they said that killing of the traders’ leader Haleem Jan had proved that no trader was safe in the province. “Target killings, extortion and bombing incidents are rising day by day but the government is doing nothing to provide security to the people,” Hakeemullah said, adding the traders were forced to shift their businesses to other provinces for lack of security. They asked the government to arrest the killers of Haleem Jan or else a protest campaign would be launched.

NOWSHERA: The traders condemned the killing of Haleem Jan, a leader of traders, in Peshawar and demanded arrest of accused involved in the murder.Speaking at a protest meeting, president of the Anjuman-e-Tajiran Nowshera Cantonment, Ayaz Paracha said the incident had highlighted insecurity to traders. He said the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)-led provincial government has failed to provide protection to the traders against extortionists and target killers.The participants of the meeting expressed grief over the killing of the senior trader.