THATTA, Aug 12: The civil court of Mirpur Bathoro on Thursday acquitted 15 activists of the People's Party Parliamentarians in a case registered against them for staging a sit-in during the October 2002 election campaign.

Those acquitted included Shamsuddin Memon, then contestant for a Sindh Assembly seat, Arbab Wazir Ahmad Memon, former provincial minister and contestant for a National Assembly seat, Aijaz Ali Khwaja, a PPP Sindh Council member, Ghulam Ali Khwaja, party's district finance secretary, and Wahid Dino Parhiar, taluka president of the party.

The court, however, ordered retrial of five of the accused in the case who did not appear in the court during proceedings. On Oct 10, 2002, the then SHO of Mirpur Bathoro, Ghulam Qadir Chang, on behalf of state, had registered an FIR against over 100 PPP activists for blocking the Bathoro-Hyderabad highway by staging a sit-in following a clash with activists of rival political party.

The court on Thursday also exonerated 16 other PPP activists, including a candidate in the election for a National Assembly seat, Arbab Wazir Memon, from the charge of obstruction in duty. The Daro police had registered the FIR against them for obstructing official duties during the general election campaign.

DISTILLERIES RAIDED: Police on Thursday in two separate raids unearthed four liquor distilleries and seized hundreds of litres of katcha wine. Police arrested some accused for making and trafficking liquor. They were identified as Raheem Malkani, Akbar Shoro, Daroo Shoro and Habib Shoro.