DADU: Two candidates vying for different local government seats from Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah’s home constituency were on Monday set free on a court order after two days of detention amid intensified protest by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Sindh United Party (SUP) against “victimisation and pre-poll rigging” on the part of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) through police and local election staff.
PTI’s Badaruddin Panhwar — who is contesting for a Jamshoro district council seat from CM’s native village, Wahur — and SUP’s Qadir Nawaz Thebo — who is in the field for a councilor’s seat from the same area — were among the 80 leaders and activists booked at the Sehwan police station on Saturday for allegedly humiliating election staff at the Sehwan assistant commissioner’s office.
Nineteen SUP leaders and senior activists, including its senior vice president Roshan Ali Buriro, obtained their pre-arrest bail from a court while police launched a series of raids on the houses of SUP workers and supporters to arrest them. The SUP held protest in Bhan Syedabad on Sunday over the crackdown in its ongoing campaign against the ruling PPP, Sehwan Assistant Commissioner Abdul Rahim Qureshi (serving as Returning Officer), and the area police accusing them of having maintained a nexus to favour PPP in the local government elections.
On Monday again, a large number of SUP and PTI workers led by their respective local leaders assembled at a section of the Indus Highway near Wahur and held a protest sit-in for about five hours. They put up barricades, burning tyres and junk to block the highway demanding release of all detained leaders and activists as well as withdrawal of the “fake” case against the 80 people.
The angry protesters were carrying clubs and other blunt objects while some of them threatened occupants of stuck-up vehicles with stones when the latter tried to persuade them to clear the road. Hundreds of vehicles remained stuck in the snarl-up from 8:30am to about 1:30pm.
Many of the protesters belonged to the Panhwar community and were led by its notables, Mohammad Saleh and Mr Jurial. SUP’s senior vice president Roshan Ali Buriro and PTI’s Syed Mohammad Ali Shah were leading their respective party workers.
Speaking to the protesters, Saleh Panhwar deplored that Badaruddin Panhwar was detained for contesting on a district council seat from the UC housing CM’s native village and members of his community were being victimised by the PPP and police.
He said Badaruddin was being pressured to withdraw from the election as PPP fears defeat of its candidate.
Jurial Panhwar condemned the area police for conducting raids on the houses of his community members at the behest of local PPP leaders.
He said women and children were humiliated during the raids. He noted that PPP candidates were not running their election campaign as if they had been assured of their victory.
The SUP and PTI leaders appealed to the Supreme Court, Election Commission of Pakistan and other relevant authorities to take notice of this “pre-poll rigging” and ensure free and fair elections in Sehwan taluka.
PTI’s Syed Mohammad Ali Shah said that local PPP leaders were not allowing PTI candidates to run their election campaign.
He said that police were being used to harass PTI candidates and voters as part of PPP’s efforts to keep them away from the elections. He deplored that “fake” cases were being registered against PPP’s opponents.
Roshan Ali Buriro said that Qadir Nawaz Thebo was being subjected to torture at the Mahi Otho police station.
He claimed that a total of 15 SUP candidates for the slots of chairman, vice chairman and member of various UCs had been arrested in “fake” cases in Jamshoro district.
They were being pressured to withdraw their candidature, he alleged.
While the protest near Wahur was continuing, the Sehwan police produced Badaruddin Panhwar and Qadir Nawaz Thebo in a local court, which ordered their release and restrained the police from harassing them.
The protesters dispersed after the news about their release order reached the area.
Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2022