KARACHI, June 16: The Pakistan Peoples Party - Sindh on Thursday held protest demonstrations in various districts of the province against the arrest of MPA Zahid Bhurgari allegedly in a false case, while castigating the Dr Arbab Rahim government for abusing power and victimizing political opponents.
They demanded that ‘false’ cases against Mr Bhurgari, who had been booked under the anti-terrorism law, should be withdrawn immediately and he be released forthwith.
The PPP had on Monday called for a day of protest in the province on June 16 against the arrest of the party’s Hyderabad city president and MPA Zahid Bhurgari on ‘concocted’ charges.
A protest demonstration outside the Karachi Press Club was part of the PPP’s campaign in which the provincial party chief, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, accused the government of deliberately inciting people to take to the streets to express their anger.
Mr Shah warned that if vindictiveness of the regime did not come to an end, the party might give a call to besiege the Chief Minister’s House.
He alleged that PPP activists were being implicated in fake cases and they were being threatened by the chief minister to change their loyalty.
Mr Shah demanded that all fake cases against Mr Bhurgari should be dropped and he be released immediately.
General Secretary PPP, Karachi division MPA Rafiq Engineer on the occasion said that government highhandedness would not deter the PPP workers form confronting the fascist rulers and anti-democracy forces.
President of the PPP Karachi division Rashid Rabbani addressed a protest rally at the Sohrab Goth roundabout in former District Central.
He declared that PPP workers could not be cowed by strong arm tactics of the Arbab government, and demanded withdrawal pf cases against MPA Bhurgari.
Addressing a protest rally at Site Chowrangi, central information secretary of the PPP Taj Haider warned of serious consequences if Zahid Bhurgari, Ghulam Qadir Chandio, Jam Saqi and other leaders were not released immediately.
Besides Mr Haider, the meeting was also addressed by Ghulam Habib Jadoon, Lal Bux Bhutto Ismail Pasha and others.
Central leader of the PPP Prof N.D. Khan slammed the government for its anti-people and anti-democracy acts while addressing a protest demo in district Malir at Quaidabad.
He accused Gen Musharraf of strengthening centrifugal and anti-federation forces and to allegedly please separatists. Raja Abdur Razaq and Omar Jat also spoke.
Addressing a protest rally at Jail Chowrangi in former District East, provincial information secretary Waqar Mehdi and district president Khalil Qureshi said the imposed structure of anti-democracy and anti-people elements would be swept away soon.