HYDERABAD, May 9: Condemning the arrest of Awam Dost Panel Nazim of Union Council Moosa Khatiyan, Tandojam, Syed Shafqat Hussain Shah, PPP leaders have warned that if any more arrests of elected representatives of PPP were made, they will lay siege to the chief minister house and the offices of concerned RPOs and DPOs.

At a press conference at the press club here on Wednesday, MPA Zahid Ali Bhurgari, Parvez Ansari, Syed Fayaz Shah, Pasha Qazi, Aftab Khanzada and others, said that a false case of water theft was registered against Mr Shah in which he was granted bail by the court but police, under pressure from the high-ups, registered another fictitious case of rioting against him and other PPP activists and arrested them.

They alleged that Mr Shah was arrested by the Tandojam police without registration of FIR and then taken to Hatri police station, where the police received orders from the high-ups to register a case against him under section 147, 148, 149, 504, 506(2), 153 and 124-A PPC.The PPP leaders said that the only crime of Mr Shah was that he had refused to switch his loyalties over to Q League.

They said that police had told them in confidence that there was no case and no evidence against Shah and that was the reason that his remand was sought in judicial custody.

They said nine other PPP activists were also arrested along with Mr Shah but they have been granted bail and released.

The said that PPP, on the call of the provincial president of the party, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, will accord a tumultuous welcome to the CJP on his visit to Karachi on May 12.

They regretted that the MQM has also given a call for holding a rally on the same day “perhaps for a confrontation”.

They said this was being intentionally done to level ground for imposing emergency in the country as hinted by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

They said PPP's caravan from all districts of Sindh will reach Karachi on May 12 to welcome the CJP. They said that constitution of a full court and stay against the Supreme Judicial Council proceedings was a great victory for the people.

They claimed that the days of the present regime were numbered as the people wanted a change.

They said that a large umber of Q-League legislators and senators were eager to join PPP.

They demanded of Gen Musharraf to resign and hand over power to an interim set-up.

They further demanded that an independent election commission should be appointed to hold general elections and allow Ms Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to return.

Earlier, a large number of PPP activists staged a token hunger strike outside the press club to protest against the arrest of Syed Shafqat Hussain Shah.