HYDERABAD, Aug 31: A large number of activists of the People’s Party Parliamentarians took out a rally in Tando Mohammad Khan town, blocked Hyderabad-Badin Road for one hour and burnt tyres here on Saturday.

They were protesting against the rejection of nomination papers of party chairperson Benazir Bhutto by the returning officer for Larkana.

Led by the general-secretary of the party, Hyderabad district, and former MPA, Haji Mohammad Amin Lakho, the protesters raised slogans against the government and for restoration of a true democracy.

Speaking at the rally, Lakho said Gen Pervez Musharraf’s government was even worse than Gen Ziaul Haq’s government.

He said Gen Musharraf was trying to find out an excuse to postpone the election for an indefinite period.

He said uncertain conditions had been created in the country after the rejection of Benazir’s nomination form.

The PPP leader warned if the rulers did not change their attitude and withdraw their wrong decisions, the government would have to face another MRD Movement.

A heavy contingent of the police rushed to the spot and the PPP activists played “hide and seek” with the police and some of them even grappled with the law enforcers.

The police reportedly rounded up more than one dozen activists but later on they were set free as a lot of the PPP activists converged at the Tando Mohammad Khan police station.

Later, Lakho spoke at an impromptu press conference at his residence and announced protest demonstrations would continue till the nomination form of Benazir was accepted.

MIT warning: The Mohajir Ittehad Tehrik (MIT) chief Dr Saleem Haider has said that his party had decided to contest elections on some selected seats to inform the people about the true state of affairs prevailing in Karachi and Hyderabad.

He was speaking at a reception hosted by his party in honour of the newly elected officer-bearers and members of the executive committee of the Hyderabad Union of Journalists here on Monday.

Dr Haider, who is a candidate from NA-219, Hyderabad, without naming the Muttahida Qaumi Movement said that the party had been exploiting the Urdu speaking people in the name of Mohajir cause but now the Mohajirs had been left in the lurch.