KARACHI: The Sindh government on Tuesday announced a compensation of Rs10 million to be paid to the heirs of a Thar Coal worker, Dodo Bheel, who was allegedly tortured to death by some security guards of the mining company concerned. It also announced a compensation of Rs5m each for two other workers allegedly injured by the guards.

The announcement was made by Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh at a press conference here. He was accompanied by Culture Minister Syed Sardar Shah.

Mr Sheikh said that legal heirs of Dodo Bheel would be given jobs as well.

He said Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had taken notice of the “ruthless murder of the mine worker” and directed the authorities concerned to take strict action against those involved in the matter.

Energy minister says two other ‘tortured’ workers will get Rs5m each

Imtiaz Sheikh said that the suspects were named in the FIR lodged by Dodo’s family. “The culprits involved in this gory incident cannot be forgiven under any circumstances,” he said. He said that the provincial government was with the bereaved family, and held out the assurance that the killers would not escape punishment.

He noted that the suspects nominated in the FIR were immediately placed under suspension and their immediate removal from the Thar Coal field was recommended.

The minister said that the provincial government would pursue the murder case in court. “The Sindh government stands by oppressed people; workers, peasants, labourers and other poor people are strength of the PPP,” he added.

He said PPP MNAs and MPAs had been in constant touch with the victim’s family since the “brutal murder” of Dodo Bheel. “A team of ministers will also visit Thar on Wednesday (today) to meet the affected families,” he said.

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had on Monday formed a three-member ministerial committee comprising Imtiaz Sheikh, Syed Sardar Shah and Nawab Taimur Talpur to probe the matter.

MITHI: Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh on Tuesday condemned the “brutal torture” of poor labourers which led to the death of one of them. “PPP rulers have turned Thar into a hell for peaceful protesters including PTI workers,” he said, calling for justice to the affected families.

In a statement, he said announcing Rs10m compensation for the bereaved family is tantamount to adding insult to the family’s injury. Such announcement implied that the rulers wanted to silence Tharis by giving them money after killing and committing brutalities, he said.

Mr Sheikh said he along with Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim would soon visit Thar and meet the people who were facing worst sort of political victimisation at the hands of police on the directions of PPP leaders.

Tharparkar SSP’s statement

Tharparkar SSP Hassan Sardar Niazi issued a press statement late on Monday evening claiming that two motorcycles belonging to police department were set on fire [by protesters holding a sit-in in Islamkot] and they also tried to damage other vehicles [forcing police to take action against them].

He also claimed that FIR against leaders of the Bheel Intellectual Forum [which organised the protest sit-in] and PTI leaders was registered after they threatened to besiege offices of Thar coal fields, “which falls within the projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor”.

The SSP said he had all sympathies for the family members of Dodo Bheel but nobody would be allowed to take the law into his own hands near the sensitive government installations.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2021