HYDERABAD, June 22: Members of the Awam Dost Panel of the Hyderabad District Council have severely criticised the attitude of the majority party in the special session held on Wednesday for the nazim to present six-month progress report of the district government.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Wednesday, they said that the treatment meted out to them in the session had damaged to the dignity of the council.

They alleged that the elected representatives of the Sindhi speaking people had been insulted, humiliated and thrown out of the council hall. They described the attitude of the majority party as mockery of democracy, and said that the law of “might is right” prevailed in the council.

The Awam Dost Panel members said the majority party had thrown even the women representatives out of the session pulling their hair. This was sheer terrorism, they added.

They claimed that they had been highlighting the problems of the people.

Awam Dost Panel councillors of the district council demanded a judicial inquiry into the Wednesday’s incident. They alleged that they were also receiving threats and warned that if any of the opposition members received harm, the district nazim and his henchmen would be responsible.

They appealed to the higher judiciary to provide them protection.

Members who spoke at the press conference included Yamin Soomro, Mehboob Abro, Mohammad Saleem Jahejo, Hassan Bux Budhani, Ms Zahida Memon and Ms Fehmida Nahiyoon. All members of the district council, PPP leaders, Amanullah Siyal and Aftab Khanzada were present.

REJOINDER: Tando Hyder UC Nazim Mian Abdullah, who is also the member of district council Hyderabad, in a statement faxed to Dawn here on Thursday, lashed out at Nazim Mehboob Abro of UC-2 Qasimabad taluka for accusing District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil of bias.

He said the nazim had undertaken development works not only in the urban talukas of the district but also in Hyderabad rural and Qasimabad talukas without any discrimination and in accordance with the rules and regulations.

He said a documentary proof, including details of expenditure, was available with the departments concerned in this regard.

He advised Mehboob Abro not to level allegations against the district nazim.

CONDEMNED: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal on Thursday condemned violence on the floor of the Sindh Assembly and the Hyderabad District Council on Wednesday.

In a joint statement issued here on Thursday, MMA district president and former MPA Maulana Abdul Waheed Qureshi, Maulana Taj Mohammad Nahiyoon and Shaikh Shaukat Ali said that what people would expect from the lawmakers resorting to violence against each other.

They said that manhandling by members of the Hyderabad District Council, people speaking different languages were being divided.

They advised lawmakers to learn to respect opinion of their opponents, which was a feature of democracy