SUKKUR, Sept 4: Mari gas field administration officer Jamal Nasir, the son of peasant leader Mandhal Shar who is leading a campaign against the gas field management, was arrested in another case soon after he was granted bail on Wednesday.

Mr Nasir was earlier arrested on Aug 11 from his office on the complaint of the management of the gas field.

Later, the police registered a case against him, stating therein that on the instigation of Mr Nasir, protesting villagers of Kharohi opened fire on the installations of the gas field.

On Wednesday, the additional district and sessions judge of Mirpur Mathelo ordered the release of Mr Nasir on bail but the police instead of releasing him said that he was also involved in another case which was registered with the Daharki police station in 2001.

Resentment prevails among the workers of the Mari gas field and residents of Kharohi after the police action.

Mr Shar told this correspondent by telephone that the police had cordoned off Kharohi village for the last one month. He said that they could not take their sick children to the city as they were not being allowed to go out of the village.

He said that they sold their land to the Mari gas field on the condition that it would provide jobs to local people and pay the price for the land according to the market rate.

However, he said, the gas field administration started digging wells without compensating the people for their land.

Mr Shar said that when the people observed protest and demanded compensation, they were tortured and Mr Nasir was arrested.

He said that he had met the leaders of the Anti-Greater Thal Canal Action Committee who had promised to raise the matter in the Sindh Assembly.

Criticizing the Daharki police, the villagers said that the police arrested a man, Mahram Ali, when he tried to meet Mutahidda Majlis-i-Amal leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman during his visit to Ghotki district to apprise him of the atrocities of the police.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz chairman Bashir Qureshi would soon visit Ghotki to express his party’s solidarity with those protesting against the gas field management. He would also speak at a protest rally there.