SARGODHA, Sept 9: The entire revenue staff went on strike on Thursday to press the police to release Teshildar Qasim Bharwana who, they said, had been arrested by Atta Shaheed police without any justification.

The staff also held a meeting, chaired by Zafar Iqbal Balka, which said Atta Shaheed police officials encircled tehsil office and arrested Qasim Bharwana, who had returned to his office after performing his duty at the circuit house on Wednesday. They pledged to continue protest till the release of their colleague and action against the police.

Besides patwaris of the Sargodha tehsil, the presidents and secretaries-general of all five tehsils, tehsildars and their deputies also attended the meeting. The gathering also decided to hold a meeting of the entire revenue staff on Saturday (tomorrow).

The tehsildars said Mr Bharwana was implicated in a case and the police were hard on him. It may be recalled that a complainant from the Gujjar tribe alleged that Bharwana, despite the stay order of high court, ejected his family from his house and land with the help of other officials. He was also accused of humiliating women of the family and damaging their property.