May 30, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 24, 1429

HYDERABAD, May 29: Hundreds of Pakistan People’s Party activists staged a demonstration and a sit-in outside the press club on Thursday, demanding removal of DPO Najaf Ali Mirza and accusing him of failure to control crimes in the district.

The protesters led by acting president of the party’s Hyderabad chapter, Amanullah Siyal and other local leaders, accused the DPO of patronising drug trade and alleged that narcotics were being openly sold in every lane and street of the city and street crime had increased manifold.

They said that the DPO was defaming the PPP government and warned that if he was not removed immediately PPP workers would continue their protest.

All attempts to make contact with the DPO on telephone to get his comments on the allegations met with failure as he avoided talking to media.

An eyewitness, who was present outside the DPO’s office a day ago, disclosed that the local PPP leadership was annoyed that when they went to DPO’s office without appointment they were told to wait till the DPO was finished with a meeting. It annoyed them and they came out raising slogans against him and later staged a demonstration outside the press club and also held a press conference, he said.