September 20, 2008	Saturday	Ramazan 19, 1429

MIRPURKHAS, Sept 19: District naib nazim of Mirpurkhas, Dr Zafar Ahmed Kamali and a member of district council, Syed Ali Mardan Shah, were injured in an attack by officials of People’s Primary Healthcare and Initiative (PPHI) Programme after exchange of hot words between district naib nazim and district support manager PPHI, Ghulam Ali Soomro in the office of PPHI Mirpurkhas over transfer and posting of official of health department here on Friday.

According to reports, district naib nazim Dr Zafar Ahmed Kamali went to the office of PPHI in Mir Allahbachayo colony and met with district support manager PPHI, Ghulam Ali Soomro. During discussion, hot words were exchanged between them and the staff of the office started beating Dr Zafar Ahmed Kamali and also locked him in a room. After some time, a member of district council, Syed Ali Mardan Shah, reached there but officials also thrashed him.

On information, police reached the PPHI office but manager and other staff fled from the office.

Dozens of angry people, including MQM zonal in charge Mirpurkhas, Saleem Razzaq and MQM workers also reached the spot. During this, some unknown persons set a vehicle parked there on fire.

Later, angry protesters forced the shopkeepers to shut down their shops in the city. After an hour shops were reopened on the assurance of MQM workers.

A meeting of district council was already scheduled on Friday at 3 PM. The members of the district council gathered at the office of district naib nazim and condemned the incident.

District nazim Mirpurkhas, Dr Sughra Junejo also met with Dr Zafar Ahmed Kamali. She called DPO Mirpurkhas Muneer Ahmed Shaikh, who also met with Dr Zafar Ahmed Kamali and collected information about the incident.

Dr Zafar Ahmed Kamali later told journalists that he went to the office of PPHI and requested district support manager, Ghulam Ali Soomro for cancellation of transfer order of an official of health department but he misbehaved with him and attacked him along with other staff and locked him in a room.

He further said that he called Syed Ali Mardan Shah, member district council and others through telephone. He said that after some time Syed Ali Mardan Shah reached there but the staff also thrashed him.

He said later police reached there but the district support manager and other staff fled from the spot.

Syed Ali Mardan Shah said that when he reached the office, about eight persons attacked him and beat him with kicks and fists. He said during this, police reached there while all the staff involved in attack had fled. He said that he opened the door of the room and freed Dr Zafar Ahmed Kamali.

Dr Kamali was admitted to the Civil Hospital for treatment.

When contacted district support manager PPHI Ghulam Ali Soomro said that he had transferred a naib qasid, Qadir from a basic health unit to another BHU of the city and district naib nazim Dr Zafar Ahmed Kamali had asked him to cancel the transfer order few days back. He said that today the official himself came to his office and issued threats of dire consequences to him in case the transfer of the naib qasid was not cancelled. He further said that after some time, district naib nazim Dr Zafar Ahmed Kamali along with Ali Mardan Shah, member district council and some other people, came to his office and locked the door and threatened him with dire consequences and also beat him.

He said, in the meantime some staff and other people forcibly opened the door and rescued him. He added that during this, dozens of armed accomplices reached there, and sensing fear he along with staff left the office.

He said that armed persons resorted to aerial firing and set on fire a vehicle of the PPHI programme.

Meanwhile, district council Mirpurkhas has strongly condemned the attack on district naib nazim and member district council by the officials of PPHI programme. The meeting of district council was held here on Friday evening under the convenership of Mir Zafarullah Talpur.

The meeting passed a resolution calling upon the Sindh government to take stern legal action against district support manager PPHI programme Mirpurkhas, Ghulam Ali Soomro and other staff who were involved in the attack and also sought replacement of the DCO Mirpurkhas Abdul Rahim Soomro as he failed to contact victims after the incident despite passage of eight hours. The resolution was tabled by Syed Ali Mardan Shah.