UMERKOT: Police rounded up eight men and booked 147 others on Wednesday in a crackdown widely seen against Grand Democratic Alliance supporters in the wake of “threatening language” by Pakistan Peoples Party leaders at public meeting held for celebrating victory in by-election for PS-52 a day before.

The police action sparked protest led by losing GDA candidate Arbab Ghulam Rahim and others. They continued demonstration and sit-in at Allah Wallah Chowk for eight hours and ended it after SSP Shah Jahan visited them and assured them of justice.

Arbab told journalists that their protest had forced Sindh government to kneel and police had agreed to take back all three FIRs and free the arrested men. Police would return the cash, mobile phones and valuables to them and would not carry out such victimisation in future, he said, adding if justice was not served then they would hold protest again.

He said that provincial minister Syed Sardar Shah had issued threats to them in the presence of Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

He appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi to come forward and protect their voters from this “terrorism and political victimisation”.

The winning candidate, PPP’s Syed Ameer Ali Shah, alleged that GDA voters had tried to sabotage the poll process. They attacked voters, wounded 12 men and fired at vehicles carrying voters. They had video clips and photos of the criminal acts and there was no political victimisation, he said.

SSP Shah Jahan said that police had only arrested eight persons against whom they had received complaints and the complainants had videos and other proof to substantiate their claims. They would be produced in court soon, he said.

He said that as per three FIRs, 52 suspects were identified and over 60 were unidentified, including over 10 unidentified women.

Police action slammed

MITHI: Leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, GDA and Arbab group on Wednesday condemned threatening language of PPP leaders and subsequent vindictive action by police against voters and supporters of GDA in Umerkot district.

Krishna Sharma, Arbab Ibrahim, Nizamuddin Rahimoon, Partab Meghwar and other leaders told journalists that PPP leaders and workers rigged the by-polls and tortured and got the rival parties’ workers and voters arrested during and after the by-election.

“Brutal action by police after open threats by Sindh minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah at a public meeting in the presence of PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah is a loud and clear message to all people who did not vote for PPP candidate Syed Ameer Ali Shah,” said Sharma.

He demanded federal interior minister and other authorities concerned take notice of the arrests of political opponents of PPP in Umerkot district.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2021