THATTA: Sindh Minister for Works and Services Haji Ali Hassan Zardari visited Aarib Solangi village here on Saturday to express his sympathies with a number of families whose homes were illegally demolished in an operation three days ago.
The affected families, along with other residents of the village and nearby areas, had been holding protest demonstrations and taking out rallies since the demolition of their homes.
They claim that certain revenue officials had actually used police to dispossess them from “the disputed piece of land” situated within the Aarib Solangi Goth.
The minister regretted the excesses and maltreatment meted out to the affected families and assured them that they would be rehabilitate in a dignified manner. “The entire demolished settlement will be rebuilt by the Sindh government,” he declared, and said it would become a ‘model village’.
Promises rehabilitation of affected families, payment of compensation
Mr Zardari also promised that strict action would be taken against the revenue officials and members of the police team found involved in the alleged excesses.
Mr Zardari inspected the demolished homes and interacted with the displaced families. He was accompanied by MNA Sadiq Ali Memon, Ashiq Hussain Zardari, District Chairman Abdul Hamid Panhwar and other elected representatives belonging to the PPP.
The minister told the families that highhandedness and excesses on the part of anyone could not be tolerated.
“The injustice committed against the residents of Goth Aarib Solangi will not go unpunished. I am acting as the guardian of this village, and we will ensure the affected families’ complete rehabilitation, payment of compensation and restoration of justice to them,” he said.
He pledged that temporary shelters, food, water and other essentials of life would be provided to the families until their homes were rebuilt and they were accommodated in their respective homes.
Regarding the dispute over ownership of the land, Mr Zardari said the provincial government would make efforts to resolve the issue through negotiations and, if required, allocate a piece of land with permanent title to the affected families.
He pointed out that Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had already taken notice of landgrabbing and other such practices across the district and, therefore, action would sure be taken against culprits. “Cancellation of illegal allotments and a crackdown on landgrabbers’ network across Kohistan and its adjoining areas are underway,” he noted.
Booked villagers granted bail
The Second Additional Sessions Judge of Thatta, has, meanwhile, granted interim bail to 15 people who were booked for creating a law and order situation by resisting the police raid on their homes. They were charged with rioting, interfering in official duty and indulging in a clash with police during the demolition of homes on Thursday (July 23).
A panel of defence counsel comprising Advocate Ashraf Samoo, former Thatta Bar Association President Punhoon Uqeli, Mansoor Turk, Faiz Mohammad, Aijaz Solangi, Abdul Majeed Samoo, Shahan Imtiaz Qureshi and Aaqib Solangi informed the court that the FIR was registered to cover up the illegal police action.
They claimed that the police had demolished residential structures in violation of a court order regarding status of the piece of land in question.
While adjourning the matter to August 4, the court directed the area police to produce the case details and relevant documents in the next hearing.
The defence counsel said they intended to seek a court order for the registration of a counter-FIR against the raiding police party for alleged trespassing, destruction and looting during the operation.
Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2026
