HYDERABAD: The home department has approved provision of police protection to the Mirza family of Badin following a “specific threat alert” suggesting a possible targeted attack on Dr Zulfikar Mirza, his family members or leaders of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) as well as a law and order situation before, on or after the July 25 election.

The approval was given to the July 4 letter addressed to the Hyderabad commissioner and DIG with the signature of section officer Iqrar Ahmed.

The home department approved the security on July 9.

Hyderabad DIG Sultana Khaw­aja told Dawn on Thursday that a communication from home department for provision of security to Dr Zulfikar Mirza and his family members had been received and forwarded to the Badin SSP.

According to the July 9 communication of the home department, Dr Fehmida Mirza, wife of Dr Zulfikar Mirza, will get one police head constable, four police constables and a mobile escort during her movement in her constituency. Her husband, Dr Zulfikar Mirza and the couple’s two sons, Hasnain Mirza and Hassam Mirza, would get police personnel during their movement in their constituencies.

Dr Zulfikar Mirza is taking on Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Ismail Rahu on PS-74 and Dr Fehmida Mirza is contesting on NA-230 Badin city. She is also contesting on PS-73 against PPP’s Taj Mohammad Mallah. Hasnain Mirza is contesting on PS-72 against PPP’s Syed Ali Bux Shah and Hassam Mirza on NA-229.

The July 9 communication said that the PPP had planned to create a law and order situation in Badin for which attack on Dr Zulfikar Mirza and his family members might take place during their movement or public gatherings. It doesn’t rule out targeted attack on GDA-affiliated local leaders, influential figures and voters.

The divisional intelligence committee held a meeting to discuss the situation arising out of the July 4 threat alert.

It conveyed its recommendation to the home department.

The July 4 communication suggested that notorious criminal Ameer Bux Umrani, a resident of Jacobabad, had been given the task [of carrying out attacks]; the PPP leadership had asked former MNA Gul Mohammad Jakhrani to arrange for bringing criminals to Badin before and after elections to create a law and order situation there.

The July 4 letter also recommended that Dr Mirza and his family may be provided protection to end possibility of endangering his and his family’s life. Jakhrani is said to be staying in Badin under party’s directive to oversee PPP’s election campaign.

Hyderabad Commissioner Ahsan Ali Mangi speaking to Dawn said that Ameer Bux Umrani with some particular background was known to the law enforcement agencies’ but he (the commissioner) was not sure whether he was same Umrani who once had been with the PPP-Shaheed Bhutto.

“It’s not the generalised nature of threat which is issued at times,” he remarked.

Jakhrani rejects claim

BADIN: Gul Mohammed Jakhrani, who belongs to Jacobabad and is tasked with supervising PPP’s electioneering in Badin, rejected the claim of any such conspiracy as mentioned in the letter, which was reportedly leaked out and aired by the electronic media and also went viral on the social media on Wednesday evening.

Commenting on the “specific threat alert”, he termed the home department communication “ridiculous”.

He claimed that the move was an attempt to rig the elections by bringing the local PPP leadership under pressure. He noted that the letter contained highly serious allegations against him and another senior PPP leader, Ameer Bux Umrani.

“We and the PPP high command are seriously thinking over moving the judiciary against such allegations,” he said.

He said that the top PPP leadership had assigned him the task of supervising the party’s electioneering in Badin many weeks ago.

Meanwhile, Badin SSP Sarfaraz Nawaz Shaikh on Thursday confirmed having received the directive to provide foolproof security to Dr Zulfikar Mirza, Dr Fehmida Mirza, Barrister Hasnain Mirza, Hassam Mirza and two GDA candidates, Riaz Khan Nizamani and Dr Abdullah Talpur.

He said he, along with officers of other security agencies, was busy chalking out the security plan. PPP candidates Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur (NA-229) and Mohammad Ismail Rahu (PS-74) described the home department’s directives as “a deep conspiracy against the party in Badin district”.

Barrister Hasnain Mirza said that he and his family had been receiving threats ever since they announced the decision to contest elections against PPP in Badin. “Asif Ali Zardari and his cronies may go to any extent in a situation where the PPP candidates in Badin are getting poor response from voters,” he said.

GDA statement

On Thursday evening, GDA general secretary Ayaz Latif Palijo issued a press statement to appeal to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the authorities concerned to ensure security of all GDA candidates in the entire province.

It accused PPP leaders of hurling death threats and using unfair tactics against their opponents in different parts of the province particularly the Mirzas and GDA candidates in Badin district.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2018