BADIN: Enraged workers of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and followers of renowned peasant leader Mohammad Fazil Rahu took to the streets in Badin and other towns in the district to protest against remarks by Dr Zulfikar Mirza about the slain peasant leader deemed insulting by the protesters.

Activists of Shaheed Fazil Rahu Memorial Committee took out a rally in Badin against Dr Mirza which terminated in a demonstration at the press club.

The protesters raised slogans against Dr Mirza and demanded the Election Commission of Pakistan take notice of his use of “abusive language” against opponents.

They said that people of Badin and the rest of the province would make Dr Mirza’s life difficult if he did not tender public apology over his insulting remarks.

They said that bad-mouthing and abusing people was an old habit with Dr Mirza. He had abused in public common people, journalists and even those who had passed away, they said.

Talking to this reporter, Mohammad Ismail Rahu, elder son of Fazil Rahu who is contesting election against Dr Mirza on PS-74 (Shaheed Fazil Rahu), strongly condemned Dr Mirza’s remarks against his slain father and warned him of dire consequences.

“Dr Mirza has crossed all limits of decency and civility by using highly derogatory remarks against my martyred father during a corner meeting near Golarchi a few days back,” he said. He said that history would never forgive “foul-mouthed” Dr Mirza and asked him to rein in his tongue and fight him in election instead of calling names and using foul language against his father.

Protest by people was natural because Fazil Rahu was not only his father; he was leader of thousands of people, he said.

PPP workers and Rahu’s followers also staged protests in Matli, Tando Ghulam Ali, Kario Ghanwar and other towns of the district.

Dr Mirza had alleged during his speech that Fazal Chang had killed Mr Rahu to avenge abduction of a woman related to him.

No member of Dr Mirza’s family was available for comments on the public outage in the streets and on social media over the derogatory remarks.

Thousands of people have taken to social media over the past three days to condemn Dr Mirza’s remarks.

They have appealed to GDA general secretary Ayaz Latif Palijo to take action against Dr Mirza as his father late Rasool Bux Palijo and Rahu had struggled together for years from the same platform.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2018