SANGHAR: A complete shutdown was observed in Sanghar city on Sunday over police action against former home minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza, his family, associates and supporters over the past few weeks.

Dr Mirza’s supporters in Sanghar riding motorcycles emerged on roads in various localities in the morning to enforce the shutdown. All the bazaars, fuel pumps, shopping centres, commercial outlets and shops remained closed for the rest of the day. Vehicular traffic, including inter-city transport services, also remained off the road.

Most people in the city were stunned by the sudden emergence of protesting activists as there was no call for a shutdown given by any party or group in advance. However, residents of some localities said they heard announcement for a closure made through mosques’ loudspeakers early in the morning. There were reports of firing into the air by some of the bike riders.

Leaders of the Sanghar Chamber of Commerce as well as police officers were seen trying to persuade traders and shopkeepers to open their outlets though in vain.

Fear and panic gripped the city throughout the day amid political tension. Police vehicles patrolled various areas of the city to maintain law and order.

Sanghar SHO Izhar Lahori said raids were conducted on the houses of some activists belonging to the Nizamani clan but no arrests were made. He was of the view that the shutdown was enforced by Nizamanis, who sided with Dr Mirza in his dispute with the top PPP leadership. The SHO said that an FIR was registered against eight suspected miscreants.

New FIR

Yet another FIR was registered in Badin district against 12 associates and supporters of former home minister Dr Mirza late on Saturday evening.

The new FIR was registered at the Golarchi police station on the complaint of an assistant sub-inspector, Ismail Jat, who stated that about a dozen associates and supporters of Dr Mirza forced traders and shopkeepers to pull down the shutters in Golarchi earlier in the day. He further stated that the suspects resorted to firing into the air and obstructing police in discharging their duties.

Four of the suspects nominated in the FIR by name were Pappu Shahani, Mohib Ali Shahani, Shabir Ahmed Shahani and Mahatab Bughyo.

Condemning the registration over a dozen FIRs against Dr Mirza’s supporters, his close aides Dilber Sindhi, Tanweer Arain, Haji Mukhtiar Pitafi and others told the media on Sunday that people had the right to protest over “brutal torture” of their leader’s guards by masked men accompanying the police in Karchi on Saturday.

Community support

The Soomra Ittehad (SI), claiming to be representing the Soomro community in Badin district, has condemned the Sindh government for the alleged victimisation of the Mirza family and described manhandling of the former home minister’s guards and associates outside the Sindh High Court on Saturday by a police force as “state terrorism”.

SI president Abdul Karim Soomro, along with Mohammed Hanif, Ali Mohammed, Sajan and others, told a press conference here on Sunday that the police action against Dr Mirza, his family, associates and supporters was unconstitutional and against the spirit of democracy.

He observed that the government was not only violating the law but also disregarding court orders.

He said his community believed that Dr Mirza was being punished for waging a war against the corruption and corrupt elements within the provincial government.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2015

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