Protests in Lower Dir against trader’s killing

TIMERGARA, April 25: Traders, lawyers and Jamaat-i-Islami workers in Lower Dir held protest demonstrations at Timergara, Talash and Khall on Monday against the killing of a businessman and demanded of the district administration to ensure security of traders. They said that the trader, Ali Jauhar, was killed by unidentified persons in Bajaur tribal area after he was kidnapped from the Timergara district headquarters on Saturday. Over 4,200 shopkeepers at Timergara closed their businesses and held a protest rally at the Gorgorai Chowk and also briefly blocked the Timergara-Maidan road. JI central leader Sirajul Haq, Timergara Anjuman-i-Tajran president Anwaruddin, JI Dir chief Maulana Asadullah and district bar president Mohammad Saleem spoke to the protest rally and said that police and administration had failed to provide security to common people and traders. "There has been no writ of the government in the province," Mr Haq said and demanded of the government to take immediate steps to arrest and punish the killers of Mr Jauhar. Anwaruddin said the traders had been left at the mercy of kidnappers and none of them felt secure. "We will soon hold a joint meeting of traders, lawyers and political activists to prepare a strategy on how to tackle the situation," he said. Traders at Talash also closed down their businesses and demanded of the government to arrest the killers immediately. Lawyers at Chakdara bar boycotted court proceedings against the killing of Timergara trader. Talking to reporters, Chakdara bar president Mohammad Ishaq called upon the authorities to take practical steps to avoid such incidents in future. When contacted, an official of Timergara police station said that they had been investigating the case. He said that curfew was imposed after evening in Arang area of Bajaur to arrest the killers of Mr Jauhar. Relatives of the victim had claimed on Sunday that they had informed the police within 10 minutes of Mr Jauhar's kidnapping, but police failed to take any action.