SUKKUR/LARKANA: Power supply to many towns of Kandhkot-Kashmore, Jacobabad and Shikarpur districts was stopped by workers of the utility on Monday in protest against failure of police in recovering their two colleagues kidnapped by dacoits from the Karampur grid station in Kandhkot on May 25.

Power utility workers have been holding rallies and demonstrations in Kandhkot and some other towns everyday since May 25, when armed dacoits barged into the grid station and took away two employees, Mohammad Asif and Jamil Ahmed, and reportedly demanded Rs5 million for the release of each hostage. The area police have been making efforts but failed so far to find a clue to the hostages and their kidnappers.

On a call given by several local leaders of the Wapda Hydro-electric Workers Union (CBA), its members boycotted their duties and took out rallies from their workplaces on Monday to intensify their protest drive.

They also suspended power supply to various towns in Kandhkot-Kashmore, Shikarpur and Jacobabad districts in line with their earlier warning given during a protest demonstration in Kandhkot a few days back.

Wearing black armbands and displaying banners inscribed with demand for immediate action for the release of the victims, large groups of protesters took out ralliesfrom their respective workplaces and held sit-ins outside the offices of deputy commissioners and senior police officers.

Speaking to the media, their leaders alleged that the area police were not making result-oriented efforts towards the hostages` safe recovery.

In Kandhkot, participants of the main rally started their march from the local Wapda office and proceeded to Ghanta Ghar Chowk, where a protest camp has been pitched by activists of various nationalist groups, political and religious parties and civil society organisations protesting against failure of the police, administration and provincial government in getting released more than 35 men, women and children, according to them, held hostage by dacoits for weeks.

Leaders of Wapda workers expressed solidarity with those sitting in the camp.

They told the media that as soon as police succeeded in rescuing a single kidnap victim, gangsters would kidnapseveral more persons.

It was a matter of grave concern that the hostages included not only women, but toddlers and infants as well.

Many of such kidnappings had happened in broad daylight which was an open challenge to the writ of police, they added.

In Larkana, members and supporters of Wapda CBA observed a boycott of their duties and took out a rally from their workplace.

Raising slogans for the release of their two colleagues from the clutches of dacoits, they marched through various roads before converging on the local press club to hold a sit-in.

The protesters were led by CBA`s regional chairman Nisar Shaikh along with Abdullah Soomro and Mehmood Pathan.

Such protests were also held across the Larkana circle of the Sukkur Electric Supply Company (Sepco).