MITHI: Hundred of workers of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Arbab Group continued protest for the second day running at Fangario Bus Stop near the town on Thursday against ‘political victimisation’ of workers and highhandedness of police. Workers in other towns of the district also staged demonstrations in solidarity with their colleagues.

Special Assistant to Prime Minster on Sindh Affairs Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim said while speaking to the protesters that they would continue the protest on the road till their demand for immediate removal and expulsion of Mithi SSP Hassan Sardar Niazi was accepted.

He said that police officials posted in Tharparkar had let loose a reign of terror on his supporters and PTI workers for the past many months. They would continue the protest at the same venue for an indefinite period, he said.

He informed the protesters that he was leaving for Karachi to meet Prime Minister Imran Khan and apprise him of the situation in Tharparkar and other districts. Mr Khan had asked them to carry on with the protest, he said and asked leaders and workers of PTI from other parts of the province to join their protest and expose PPP rulers.

Arbab demands immediate removal of Mithi SSP

He said that SSP Niazi was responsible for registration of dozens of cases against their supporters at the behest of PPP leaders. The SSP ordered SHOs of different police stations of the district to register FIRs against their supporters and voters on flimsy charges soon after he was posted in the district, he said, adding that the workers were subjected to inhuman torture during detention.

He said that they were forced to ask their supporters and PTI workers to take to the streets against such brutalities. PTI workers were directly targeted when they protested against the murder of Dodo Bheel allegedly by the security guards of a mining firm, he said.

He said that Thar had always been a peaceful region where people had lived peacefully despite political differences but over the past few years PPP leaders had spread terror across the area with the help of police.

Dr Rahim claimed that Asif Ali Zardari sent him an invite through Chaudhry Pervez Illahi, Rehman Malik and some common friends to join PPP but he refused and rather preferred to join PTI in the best interests of the country.

He said the PPP was no longer a political party, it had become a bunch of corrupt and criminal men, who wanted to perpetuate their rule in Sindh by committing criminal activities and looting public money.

He lashed out at PPP MNA Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani and warned him to mend his ways and stop doing dirty politics. “Dr Malani and his cronies are using police force to silence their political opponents,” he said.

PTI leaders MNA Lal Malhi, Krishan Sharma, Khan Sahib Togachi, Arbab ahsan and others also spoke on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2021