UMERKOT, Dec 7: Braving severe cold and continuous rains, a large number of activists of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party reached here on Sunday on foot all the way from Mithi and made a brief stopover before moving to Garhi Khuda Bux to pay homage to their slain leader Benazir Bhutto.

The group led by the president of Chhachhro chapter of the Pakistan People’s Party, Ghulam Hussain Gaju, told journalists that they would reach Garhi on Dec 27 after covering 850 kilometres on foot.

They would pay homage to the slain leader and stage protest before the top leadership against leaders of the party’s Tharparkar chapter, district coordinator and chairman of District Development Programme, MPA Sharjeel Memon and MNA Mahesh Malani, they said.

Many among the group had also participated in a march on foot to Karachi accord welcome to Benazir Bhutto when she returned to the country after nearly a decade.

Qadir Bux Nohri, president of Hari Committee of Tharparkar and Ghulam Hussain Gaju complained that the party leaders were ignoring them. They took least interest in solving their genuine problems, they said.

The diehard activists alleged that MPA Sharjeel Memon and MNA Mahesh Malani were playing into the hands of PML-Q. PPP workers and voters were victimised by the same PML-Q leaders during Arbab tenure who were now on the front seat with PPP leadership, much to the disappointment of workers.

They said that that Z.A. Bhutto and Benazir were with them spiritually and they would never allow the newcomers to destroy their party.

Qadir Bux demanded adviser’s post for himself and said that in 1993 Benazir Bhutto had set up Land Disposal Committee, which envisaged that the president of Hari Committee should be given representation in the district and due share in development schemes and jobs.