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HYDERABAD Unruly activists of the Pakistan People's Party went on the rampage in some areas of the city here on Wednesday by firing in the air and setting ablaze tires on the roads over reports that a party leader had been insulted by an excise official.
The president of the party's Hyderabad chapter and Sindh Minister for Fisheries Zahid Ali Bhurgari distanced himself from the rampaging PPP workers and said the party did not support such undemocratic attitude.
The angry activists burnt tires on the Fatima Jinnah road and scared shopkeepers into pulling down shutters by firing in the air at district council shopping centre, Fatima Jinnah Road, Gul Centre, Hyder Bux Jatoi roundabout, Risala road and Station Road.
Police and personnel of paramilitary Rangers did not try to stop the march of unruly protesters to Gari Khata. They headed to Kohinoor Chowk and tried to force shopkeepers to close their business but they did not take them seriously and made them run away.
Leaders and activists of MQM arrived in the Gari Khata and asked the shopkeepers to open their shops. They dispersed the crowd to normalise situation in the two areas which had been scene to ethnic riots during mid 80s.
However, no casualty was reported from any area and no arrests were made for disturbing peace of the city.
The acting president of the PPP's Hyderabad chapter, Amanullah Siyal, said 'As I entered the office of in-charge of excise divisional special squad, Chaudhry Ghulam Ahmed, he hurled abuses at me, Benazir Bhutto and President Asif Zardari.'
He said that he had gone there for a petty tax-related work. An inquiry had been ordered into the incident and 'if an impartial inquiry is not held I will commit self immolation.' Arain was immediately placed under suspension in the wake of a complaint by Siyal.
Soon after the incident in the excise office, Mr Siyal reportedly informed party workers who immediately rushed to the office and then gathered on the Fatima Jinnah road. Arain rejected Siyal's allegations and said that he was ready to swear it on oath that he had not abused him, Benazir Bhutto or Asif Ali Zardari.
His said that Siyal tried to enter his office without introducing himself to a guard posted outside the office. 'Queries by the guard infuriated Siyal and he abused him. A leader of PPP taluka Kotri was also sitting in the office at that time who witnessed all this,' he said.
Sindh Minister for Fisheries Zahid Ali Bhurgari expressed concern over the unpleasant incident and said that PPP believed in democratic means to solve issues in a peaceful manner.
He termed it an individual act of a person or group and denied involvement of PPP workers in the incident. His party had neither acted nor supported such undemocratic approach, he said.
