April 10, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 3, 1429

MIANWALI, April 9: A complete strike was observed here on Wednesday in protest against the manhandling of former minister Dr Sher Afgan Niazi.

All markets and educational institutions remained closed and roads and streets were deserted.

Angry members of the Wattakhel tribe, to which Dr Niazi belongs, had blocked traffic on Tuesday night at the Sargodha Mor and on the Mianwali-Multan, Mianwali-Lahore, Mianwali-Rawalpindi and Mianwali-Bannu roads by burning tyres.

Long queues of passenger buses and wagons and trucks were struck on the outskirts of the city.

A number of people set on fire 14 chambers of lawyers and the bar building and ransacked its library. Most of the burnt chambers belonged to rivals of Dr Niazi.

A group of people also ransacked the local railway station and blocked train service by placing boulders on tracks.

Dr Niazi was accorded a warm welcome by his supporters and tribesmen on his arrival. District Nazim Obaidullah Khan Shadikhel, Tehsil Nazim Amjad Khan, traders’ leaders and political workers received him at the Wattakhel chowk. They showered rose petals on him and chanted slogans against Pakistan Muslim League-N leaders.

Dr Niazi urged his supporters to remain calm and not to damage government or private property. He held PML-N leaders Mian Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, former MNA Inamullah Khan Niazi and the Jamaat-i-Islami responsible for his manhandling.

He alleged that Inamullah Niazi had informed the assailants about his presence in the chamber of his lawyer Nur Mohammad Awan in Lahore.

He raised slogans in favour of President Pervez Musharraf. He said he had been tortured and humiliated because he worked for the president. He said he was proud that democracy had returned to the country after 30 years because of the efforts of Gen (retd) Musharraf.

The protesters removed barricades from roads at the appeal of Dr Niazi.

A procession was taken out from Wattakhel chowk.

Traders also took out a procession from the Railway chowk and marched on the city’s main roads.

Tehsil Nazim Amjad Ali Khan, who is son of Dr Niazi, calmed down the mob and stopped it from destroying property.

Lawyers observed a complete strike to express solidarity with Dr Niazi.