Daily Times

SUKKUR: The transfer of Ghotki SP Masood Bangash has angered the residents and traders of Ghotki, Mirpurmathelo, who resorted to a complete shutter-down strike and blockades on the National Highway here on Thursday.

The Sindh government issued on Monday orders to transfer a few police officers, including SP Bangash, from Ghotki district. As soon as the news of SP transfer was publicized, a large number of traders and residents took to the streets and blocked roads, suspending highway traffic between Punjab and Karachi.

Protester shouted slogans against the Sindh government and in favor of SP Masood Bangash. Before SP Bangash’s posting to Ghotki, the law and order situation in the district was very bad and kidnapping for ransom, highway robberies and other crimes were rampant, a protester pointed out. “SP Bangash took drastic action against criminals and managed to bring crime rates in the district down to zero,” they claimed.

Participants of the protest rally were of the opinion that the government cannot tolerate officers who work diligently. “The transfer of SP Bangash is a signal to the criminals to come out of their hidings and start looting people, which is highly condemnable,” they said.

On other side the activists of Jamiat Ulma-e- Islam (JUI) Jacobabad also protested against Bangash transfer. Rally led by Hamadullah Ansari, Abdul Jabbar Rind including Atta Muhammad Dayo, and others started from JUI office, marched various road of city and reached and staged in at front of DC chowk , roads were blocked from both sides, protesters chanted slogans in favor of SSP Ghotki. On the occasion, leaders said that rally was taken in favor of SSP Ghotki Masood Bangash. They demanded Chief Minister Sindh to stop the transfer of SSP Ghotki otherwise they threatened to accelerate their protest level.

Published in Daily Times, July 14^th , 2017.