BADIN: A clash between supporters and opponents of Pakistan Peoples Party’s disowned leader and former home minister Dr Zulfikar Ali Mirza in Pangrio town heightened political tension in parts of Badin district on Thursday.

A couple of weeks back, a mob led by Dr Mirza had stormed the Badin police station during which he had allegedly manhandled a DSP. The incident led to a siege of Dr Mirza’s farms and a crackdown on his supporters, besides triggering a war of words between the mainstream PPP and his group.

On Thursday, several hundred supporters of Dr Mirza took out a rally in Matli after an activist, Deedar Mallah, was got freed by a senior civil judge in a surprise visit to the town’s police station in compliance with the directive of Badin district and sessions judge Ghulam Rasool Samoon.

The jubilant activists were carrying Mr Mallah to his hometown, Pangrio, raising slogans against the PPP high command, district administration and police. However, they were confronted by a large group of PPP activists on their arrival in the town. The emotionally charge activists on the two sides kept raising provocative slogans and finally came to blows.

They later attacked each other with clubs, iron rods and bricks causing injuries to six people, Abdul Qadir, Dad Leghari, Hanif Leghari, Abdul Qayum, Khamiso and Aftab Ahmed.

The victims were taken to the Pangrio rural health centre and then referred to the Badin Civil Hospital for treatment.

Shops, markets and other commercial concerns were closed as soon as the clash started. Some activists also fired shots into the air which caused panic and chaos in the town.

Law enforcement agencies moved swiftly to bring the situation under control and reportedly picked up three supporters of Dr Mirza. They were later identified as Haji Soomro, Amin Shoro and Abdul Sattar Shoro.

Reinforcement was called from different police stations for deployment at sensitive points of the town.

PPP MNA Sardar Kamal Khan Chang and some local leaders including Nadir Hussain Khowaja spoke to the media after the clash and accused Dr Mirza’s associates of trying to foment violence and bloodshed in the district.

Release of activist

Haji Panah Mallah, a close aide to Dr Mirza, had on Wednesday filed an application in the Badin district and sessions court complaining that his son, Deedar Mallah, had been in unlawful confinement for more than a week at the Matli police station. The court asked senior civil judge Abdul Sattar Khaskheli to pay a surprise visit to the police station. During the visit on Thursday, Judge Khaskheli found Deedar Mallah lodged in the lock-up.

Since there was no entry of his arrest in the police station’s record, the judge ordered release of the man and submitted his report with District and Sessions Judge Ghulam Rasool Samoon, who ordered the Matli SHO to appear in person before him on Friday (today).

Another associate of Dr Mirza, Tanweer Arain, told the media that at least 10 members of his group had been picked up recently and their whereabouts were not being disclosed.

Haji Panaha Mallah also spoke to journalists and was asked about the clash in Pangrio.

He replied that that he along with his son was being led to Pangrio in a procession but their rivals blocked the way when they arrived in the town. This provoked an angry reaction, he added.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play