LAHORE: Transgender persons on Sunday protested against the police for allegedly arresting their community members in Iqbal Town.

A number of transgender persons gathered outside the Moon Market in Iqbal Town and blocked the road for traffic to protest against the police. The protest resulted in huge traffic blockage and the citizens were trapped there for hours.

The protesters were chanting slogans against the police for misbehaving with their community members and also arresting some of them.

Meanwhile, a heavy police contingent reached the spot and held negotiations with the transgender persons to open the road for traffic.

However, both parties could not reach any settlement and the police later forcibly started removing the protesters and also baton-charged them and cleared the road.

The police also took some of the protesters into custody and registered cases for blocking the roads and creating problems for the citizens.

BEGGARS HELD: The city police on Sunday launched a crackdown on beggars to free the provincial capital of beggary and organised criminal gangs.

The city police had arrested more than 450 beggars from different areas of the city and also registered 347 cases against them in different police stations.

As many as 55 cases against beggars were registered in City division, 28 in Cantonment, 50 in Civil Lines, 57 in Iqbal Town, 79 in Saddar, and 78 in Model Town.

The city police in collaboration with Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) and social welfare department have formed six teams to initiate crackdown on professional and criminal record holder beggars to free the provincial capital of the nuisance.