KHAIRPUR, March 25: People's Party Parliamentarians MPA Syed Qaim Ali Shah has alleged that police are harassing Awam Dost Panel candidates for various seats in the local government by-election.
Talking to journalist here on Wednesday night, he accused police of arresting relatives of the candidates. He said police had started a drive against the PPP-backed ADP candidates and their supporters before the polling date of March 28.
He claimed that the Hingorja Union Council had become a police state where ADP candidate Dr Khudad Abro had been compelled to withdraw from the contest. The MPA demanded that the Election Commission should ensure a free and fair election.
ROOF COLLAPSES: A portion of the roof of a reading room of the Sachal Sarmast Public Library caved in on Wednesday evening. However, students who were present there remained unhurt.
The library building had not been repaired for the last many years despite its dilapidated condition. The in charge of the library, Syed Roshan Shah, told this correspondent that he had written to the culture department for repair of the building but no steps had been taken so far in this regard. He said manuscripts and historical books had been kept in the damaged room.
SNAKEBITE: Three women - Shazia, Hameera and Zarina - were bitten by snacks in different villages of the Gambat taluka on Wednesday evening. They were admitted to the Gambat Taluka Hospital.
NO-GO AREAS: The People's Party Parliamentarians has alleged that the Hingorja union council has been made a no-go area for its workers. Talking to newsmen here on Tuesday, PPP Sobhodero taluka vice-president Rasool Bux Bhutto and others said the party activists and supporters were pressured not to participate in the by-election campaign for the Awam Dost Panel candidates.
They said four PPP workers namely Bahadur Sehto, Zulfiqar Siyal, Lal Dino Sehto and Meedan Ali were arrested by the police on Monday in Sobhodero. They were released on Tuesday, they said.
The PPP leaders said houses of ADP candidate for the Hingorja union council Nazim post, Hakim Jokhio, councillor candidates Rehmat Khatoon, Fateh Khatoon in Rasoolabad were raided by the police.
They said their workers and the ADP candidates were unable to go to their homes due to harassment. They accused the police of working for their rival candidates.
HESCO: Twenty people were arrested by the Hesco Khairpur sub- division officials in different colonies of the district on Monday during the recovery campaign. They were handed over the A-section police. The arrested person were released after payment of their arrears on Monday night.
