HYDERABAD, March 29: Pasban leaders urged President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday to ensure return of 20 families expelled from Goth Gujjo Bariri, Thatta district, to their village the same way as he had intervened to help resettle people in Dera Bugti.

Sindh Pasban president Mohammad Hussain Khan and leaders of the party’s Hyderabad chapter Shafique Ahmed Qureshi and Zakir Hussain speaking at a news conference at the Hyderabad Press Club, said local landlords aided by the TPO of Sujawal and the SHO of Jati had forced families to leave their village a week ago.

They warned if the expelled families suffered any harm, the DPO of Thatta, the TPO of Sujawal and the Jati SHO would be held responsible.

Hussain Khan said the SHO of Jati had registered a false report against minor children of expelled families, who were fishermen by profession, to coerce them into fleeing their homes.

He said the families’ head, Mohammad Moosa, approached the district and sessions judge of Thatta to get children released following which the judicial magistrate of Sujawal raided the Jati police station on March 25, and recovered a child, Mohammad Hanif.

Pasban leaders claimed the SHO of Jati appeared before the sessions judge on March 28 and tendered an apology. In addition to this, he assured the judge that he would also seek apology from Mohammad Moosa, rehabilitate his families in their village and provide them protection.

However, Mr Khan said, as soon as the SHO came out of the court, he started threatening Moosa with dire consequences.

He said that the Pasban activists will proceed to Thatta and will not sit quiet unless the oppressed families are rehabilitated.

He warned that if any harm came to Mohammad Moosa or his family members, the DPO of Thatta, the TPO of Sujawal and the SHO of Jati police station will be held responsible. Mohammad Moosa was also present on the occasion.