HYDERABAD, July 30: An FIR was lodged at the city police station on Saturday against leaders of various parties who had participated in the rally held in protest against the proposed city district government.

Police lodged the case on the complaint of Aqeel Ahmed Ansari.

Those booked are: Opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly Nisar Khuhro, Senator Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro, PPP MPA Zahid Bhurgari, former Sindh law minister Saleem Zia, Sindh Tarraqi Passand Party chief Dr Qadir Magsi, Sindh Democratic Forum convenor Abrar Kazi, Sindh Hari Committee chief Azhar Jatoi, PPP information secretary Aftab Khanzado, STPP information secretary Muzaffar Kalhoro, PPP leader Maula Bux Chandio, Sindh National Council leader Punhal Sario, JUI-F leaders Taj Mohammad Nahiyoo and Azam Jehangiri, SDF secretary Zulfikar Halepoto, Pasha Qazi, Fayyaz Shah, Jiando Soomro, Dr Rahim Solangi and Usman Kennedy.

The complainant said that the accused led a rally on Saturday in the city and when it reached near the A-1 hotel, the participants hurled abuses at Urdu-speaking people.

He said that around six to seven people disembarked from vehicles and threatened traders to close their shops.

They also pelted shopkeepers, including the complainant who suffered injuries, with stones.

He said that a group of people also damaged portrait of MQM chief Altaf Hussain.

Meanwhile, PPP district president Zahid Bhurgari, MPA, Maula Bux Chandio and Aftab Khanzado in a joint press statement on Sunday said that anti-city government rally was completely peaceful which had unnerved the government.

They said that some agent provocateurs staged a drama of stoning portraits of MQM chief with stones and got a false FIR registered against leaders of different political parties.

They said that all shops remained open and not a single stone was hurled.

They said that a large number of Urdu-speaking people took part in rally as they were integral part of the PPP.