April 12, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 5, 1429

HYDERABAD, April 11: Activists of Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party staged a rally here on Friday in protest against killings of innocent people including lawyers in Karachi, attack on City and Malir bar offices and torching of scores of vehicles and buildings.

The rally started from City Courts and terminated at the press club where STP General Secretary Hoat Khan Gadhi said in his address to the protesters that the terrorists who were responsible for the massacre of innocent people in Nishtar Park, May 12 and Oct 18 tragedies were involved in April 9 violence.

They said that the incidents involving Arbab Rahim and Sher Afgan Niazi were used as a pretext for killings. Only Pervez Musharraf and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement had been perturbed by the lawyers movement for the independence of judiciary and reinstatement of sacked judges.

Mr Gadhi said that Musharraf and MQM knew well that if Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Choudhry had been reinstated, he would order an independent inquiry into the violation of constitution, human rights and incidents of Nishtar Park, May 12 and Oct 18.

He said that it was the only reason attempts were being made to crush the lawyers’ movement through terrorism, he said.

PPP-SB: The Pakistan People’s Party-Shaheed Bhutto activists staged a demonstration outside the press club on Friday in protest against the acquittal of PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari in the murder case of Mir Murtaza Bhutto.

Led by Peeral Majidano, Imran Shah and Nazeer Khokhar, the protesters burned an effigy of Asif Ali Zardari. They were later joined by activists of Sindh National Front.

PPP-SB leaders said that Zardari’s acquittal was tantamount to murder of justice and warned if they did not get justice their peaceful demonstrations could take a violent turn.

PARAMEDICAL STAFF: Activists of the People’s Paramedical Staff Welfare Association staged a demonstration outside the press club on Friday in protest against alleged malpractices of the medical superintendent of Liaquat University Hospital.

The association leaders Rasool Bux Rajpar and Munawar Ali Pitafi said that the MS had on the one hand refused to give jobs to the children of retired and expired employees and on the other he was avoiding implementation of the service structure.

They alleged that the patients were being supplied substandard medicines and funds were being misused and demanded that the chief minister should take notice of alleged malpractices of the MS.