HYDERABAD, April 8 Three union council nazims have accused land grabbers of firing on a peaceful protest demonstration of the residents of Juma Bhatti village, Hala Naka, and demanded action against the accused.

Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, Rana Rashid, nazim, UC-16, City taluka; Nasir Baloch, nazim, UC-4; and Malik Mohammad Rafiq, nazim, UC-1, alleged that the land grabbers were trying to occupy the 35-year-old village by using the name of the PPP.

Mr Rashid said that a few days ago, a group of over one dozen land grabbers had attacked the village at night and occupied the house of a widow. The nazim said that the villagers approached him and he contacted the Hatri police but they did not take any action against the land grabbers, who claimed to have purchased the village land.

He said that on Tuesday, when the villagers staged a peaceful protest against the highhandedness of the land grabbers, they were attacked. He said that a villager had lodged an FIR with the Hatri police but no action had so far been taken against the accused. He demanded of the Sindh home minister to take notice of the incident as the land grabbers were using the name of the Pakistan People's Party.

Meanwhile, residents of Bhatti village and Madina Town staged a demonstration outside the Hyderabad Press Club to protest against the land grabbers. They appealed to the authorities to order the arrest of the land grabbers.