06 June 2004	Sunday	17 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

KARACHI, June 5: Opposition Leader in the Sindh Assembly Nisar Khuhro has described the 'abduction' of Orangi Town Nazim Shahid Alam alias Guddu Behari immediately after his release on bail as 'worst kind of state-terrorism'.

Mr Khuhro, provincial chief of PPP, told a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Saturday, said: "Yesterday, Mr Alam was released from jail on bail, but unidentified people in police uniforms abducted him immediately after his release and took him to some undisclosed location."

Representatives of Awam-Dost Panel in the city council, including Saeed Ghani and Najami Alam, were present at the press conference.

Mr Khuhro said that he had contacted the DIG Operations and acting CCPO to ascertain whether Mr Alam had been arrested. The DIG was, however, unaware of the arrest, he added.

"The DIG Operations assured me that he will inform me if the nazim was arrested. But has not provided the information as yet. This adds to our anxiety and makes us believe that Mr Alam has actually been abducted by people in police uniform," said Mr Khuhro, alleging that the provincial government was patronizing terrorism.

"If somebody had boycotted local bodies' elections, why should those having taken part in the elections be subjected to reprisal?" he questioned, and remarked that resorting to abduction and instituting baseless cases against elected representatives were part of state-terrorism and those involved in such acts would have be made accountable for such acts," he warned.

Referring to the registration of a murder case against Liaquatabad Town Nazim Dr Pervez Mehmood, the opposition leader said the government's provocative moves could instigate people to stand up against it.

Mr Khuhro was of the view that President Musharraf had been using several people, like Guddu Behari, who had taken part in the campaign of the President's referendum. And when such people became useless for the president, he left them at the mercy of their political opponents, he added.

Mr Saeed Ghani said that Guddu Behari had been abducted from outside the jail gate. He expressed the apprehension that the nazim was being subjected to inhuman torture and might be implicated in more false cases.

He announced that members of the city council would observe token hunger strike at the KPC on June 8 against the abduction/arrest of Guddu Behari and stage strong protest during in council's session.

A protest demonstration was staged on the occasion outside the KPC. People holding banners and placards, inscribed with slogan against Guddu Behari's abduction and registration of cases against him, raised slogans for his immediate release.

They also chanted slogans against MQM chief Altaf Hussain and CM's Adviser on Home Affairs Aftab Shaikh. - PPI