October 28, 2008	Tuesday	Shawwal 28, 1429

MIRPURKHAS, Oct 27: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement is serving people diligently and without any bias which can be gauged from the Rs1.5 billion worth development works Mirpurkhas taluka nazim had accomplished, said Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister on Political Affairs Izharul Hassan.

Inaugurating the cleanliness drive in Union Council No 4, he said that Muttahida leadership was sincere to people as they themselves belong to middleclass. He lauded the role of Altaf Hussain for helping in bringing down the power tariff.

He said that the MQM was not disturbing consumers utilising 100 to 300 units per month but the power rate hike should be borne by those using more than 1,000 units.

Dispelling the impression of religious extremism in Mirpurkhas, he told the people to remain in contact with their representatives for spreading brotherhood among the masses.

Taluka Nazim Mirpurkhas Ghulam Dastagir Khan, nazims, office bearers of MQM Mirpurkhas zone and councillors were also present.

Chakki owners threaten

Mirpurkhas Chakki Owners Association has threatened to boycott official wheat quota if the same was not increased by November 1.

The Association’s Vice President Abdul Rasheed Abbassi told this to journalists on Monday. He said that the district administration and Food Department were reluctant to enhance the wheat quota to Chakkis as per their promise and further delay would force Chakki owners to boycott official quota from November 1.

Regretting the scanty wheat allocation, he linked it to flour shortage in the city.

The Association, he said had established a fair price flour camp at the Post Office Chowk for supplying 2,000kg of flour packed in 5kg bags at the rate of Rs24.50 per kilogram.

Peasants’ protest

Over a dozen peasants, including women reportedly released from illegal confinement from the farm of Thakur Nazeer Kaimkhani, observed token hunger strike outside the press club here on Monday.

They were protesting the police failure in recovering 75 more Haris, including women and children from the captivity.

Hunger strikers and activist of the HRCP Kanji Ranomal Bheel advocate, Sarwan Bheel and Mohan Bheel told reporters that Haris, including women and children were kidnapped and kept at an unknown place by the landlord to avoid police raid.

They said that a case of kidnapping of 119 peasants and subjecting them to torture had been lodged with Nauabad police against the landlord, his son Naeem Kaimkhani and their henchmen.

They lamented that Sanghar police had become party and were supporting the landlord, the proof of it was police failure to arrest even one nominated accused.

They demanded of the Sindh Chief Minister, Provincial Police Officer and RPO Hyderabad to transfer the investigation of their case to DPO Mirpurkhas Muneer Ahmed Shaikh and ensure recovery of the remaining 75 people from illegal confinement.

Jail manual

Adviser to Sindh chief minister on prisons Gul Mohammed Jakhrani has said that the government is taking measures to amend jail manual, repeal law of capital punishment and introduce reforms in jails.

He was speaking at a seminar on the conditions of prisons and rights of prisoners organised by the Socio Institution and Natural Resources Development Net.

The adviser said that facilities of television, PCO and vehicles for transportation of prisoners from jail to courts were being provided in the jail so that prisoners could get immediate justice after being produced fro hearing of their cases.

He said that he had met with the chief justice of Sindh High Court and briefed him about slow proceedings of cases.

Mr Jakhrani said that separate ward had been constructed for juvenile offenders Hyderabad and Karachi prisons.

Mir Alam Mari, Asghar Narejo, Shamim Jhandeer and others also spoke on the occasion.