SUKKUR, Nov 4: Protesting against the transfer of Ghotki District Police Officer Irfan Baloch to Larkana, people in Mirpur Mathelo took out a rally, staged a sit-in and observed a complete strike on Tuesday.

As a result of the strike, all the main bazaars and business centres remained closed throughout the day. Hundreds of people and activists of different political and social parties, including Sindh National Front, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaaz, Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party, United Human Rights, Citizens Action Committee, Shahree Ittehad, Watan Dost Mazdoor Ittehad and others led by Mir Hassan Mirani, Shabbir Shar, Rasheed Leghari and others took out a protest rally and staged a sit-in at Mirpur Mathelo bypass for three hours, due to which vehicular traffic became standstill.

The protestors were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of the DPO and against the Sindh government.

On this occasion, the protesters told journalists that with the posting of Irfan Baloch as Ghotki DPO, crime rate in the district had declined, while the officer was making sincere efforts to bring an end to bloody wars between different clans of the district. They demanded immediate cancellation of his transfer order.

The DIG Police Sukkur, Bashir Memon, contacted leaders of the protesters on phone and asked them to end the blockade due to which the road was cleared.

Mr Baloch had ‘picked-up’ a tribal leader Sardar Rahim Bux Bozdar from Garhi Chakar on Friday last and forced him to help end a bloody conflict between the Bozdars and the Gadanis and released him on latter’s assurance that a jirga would be summoned to end the conflict within two days. According to press reports, the Sardar backed out of his commitment.