KARACHI, May 12: President of the Pakistan People’s Party, Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that people across Sindh responded positively to the strike call given by the opposition political and religious parties for Friday.

He said that people’s full participation in the strike reflected their mistrust in the government and its policies.

Addressing a press conference at the People’s Secretariat here on Friday along with Mamnoon Hussain, Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui, MPA Nasrullah Shaji, Basharat Mirza, Shahi Syed and several other opposition leaders, he also condemned police torture of the employees of Dadu Sugar Mills, and demanded strict action against those involved.

Syed Qaim Ali Shah claimed that more than 250 Pakistan People’s Party workers were arrested during the strike, which remained highly successful in all small and big towns, including Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah and Sukkur.

He said people supported the strike against demolition of katchi abadis and old villages, deteriorating law and order, imposition of anti-people policies and the government’s failure in arresting culprits of the Nishtar Park blast and other terrorist attacks.

He bitterly criticized the government for pursuing ‘fascist policies’, condemning that it was not even allowing people to hold peaceful protests, as was evident from the inhuman police torture on women and children of Dadu Sugar Mills a couple of days back.

He demanded strict action against those who had ordered inhuman torture on women and children outside the Governor’s House.

The Pakistan People’s Party leader also called for the arrest of those involved in the demolition of Sikandar Goth and the killing of three local residents.

Mr Shah deplored the frequent power breakdowns and water shortage, and said that the problems, coupled with the lawlessness, had proved that the government had completely failed in providing any relief to citizens.—PPI