NAWABSHAH, April 16: Dozens of people belonging to Zardari clan staged a demonstration outside the press club here on Wednesday in protest against a cousin of Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari accusing him of encroaching upon their land with the help of police.

The protesters, including Ms Shahnaz, Ms Fouzia and Aijaz Ali Zardari of Islam Khan Zardari village, told journalists that a heavy contingent of police led by Aftab Zardari, cousin of Asif Ali Zardari, raided their village in the morning that day, beat up men, women and children, looted cash, valuables and animals and razed more than 20 houses.

They said that police arrested dozens of their relatives including Zahid Hussain, Maqbool Hussain, Ghulam Mustafa, Ghulam Shabbir and Ali Nawaz.

They said that they had purchased some 45 acres of land in the village through a bank auction years ago and Aftab Zardari had been trying to encroach upon their property ever since they constructed their residences on the land.

Asif Ali Zardari had settled the dispute between them and his cousin when he had come to Nawabshah after release from jail but Aftab never followed his decision, they claimed.

They said that as loyal PPP voters they made an appeal to PPP co-chairman to intervene in the matter and provide them justice.

But Aftab Zardari dismissed the protesters charges denying his involvement in or even awareness about any raid on the village. He had purchased 42 acres in the village but could not take possession of the property due to illegal encroachment by some people, he said.

He said that he had all the legal and valid documents, which proved that the property was his and had also won a case in civil court about the land’s ownership. Asif Ali Zardari knew well about the matter and he had offered the encroachers alternative accommodation but they refused, he said.

DPO, SP of Investigation and concerned investigation officers were not available for comments the raid on the village.

The SHO of taluka police station Sain Rakhio said that investigation police raided the village to arrest some culprits after Aftab Zardari’s manager Ali Hassan Zardari lodged an FIR stating that some armed people had encroached upon his land. The armed encroachers had attacked the raiding, the police official claimed.