June 01, 2008	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 26, 1429

HYDERABAD, May 31: Hundreds of people from four villages blocked the Fatima Jinnah Road near Hatri on Saturday in protest against the arrest of neighbours, seizure of their goats, tractor and motorcycles by Hatri police after kidnapping of a man.

Villagers, including women and children blocked the Fatima Jinnah Road to protest police excess. Their blockade was in fact a protest in front of the RPO office located in Shahbaz Building, Fatima Jinnah Road. It led to serious traffic jam as a flyover project was being executed on the same road. They raised slogans against Hatri police.

Protesters were the residents of Bahadur Khoso, Shabbir Khoso and two other villages. They were led by Mohammad Hussain, Manzoor Ahmed, Altaf Khoso, Amir Chandio, Abid Ali and others who also met RPO Hyderabad.

Earlier, efforts to persuade villagers to lift blockade by ASP Cantonment Asif Iqbal failed. In a meeting with villagers, the RPO assured them that their five children, among those picked-up by Hatri police officials including SPO and SHO, would be released but others interrogated.

Sindh Fisheries Minister Zahid Bhurgari also rushed to the spot and negotiated with them. He persuaded them to clear the road after the assurance by RPO. Villagers said following the kidnapping of one Ajab Din alias Ajoo, police had picked-up 20 persons from their villages, and seized 300 goats, two motorbikes, one tractor to put pressure on villagers.

They said they also met the DPO but detenues were not released. They said they were not involved in kidnapping but police violated sanctity of chaddar and char dewari and picked up villagers.

They said that they were ready to face punishment if charges against them proved.