HYDERABAD, Jan 3: Activists of Sindh National Front in Tando Mohammad Khan, led by Mir Muzaffar Ali Talpur, Ibrahim Gul Memon and others held a demonstration outside the press club in protest against the arrest of party chief, Mumtaz Ali Bhutto.
Speaking on the occasion, they termed the arrest as political victimization and said that while the murderers of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto were roaming about freely, Mumtaz Ali Bhutto had been arrested for raising his voice for their arrest.
They claimed that SNF activists were not involved in the attack on the office of Awami Awaz. They warned that if Mumtaz Bhutto was not released, protest demonstrations would be held throughout Sindh.
Meanwhile, Sindh Taraqi Passand Party and Awami Tehrik have also condemned the arrest of Mumtaz Bhutto. STP chairman, Dr Qadir Magsi in a statement said that the exponents of democracy were not prepared to tolerate their political opponents and said that the arrest was politically immoral.
He also condemned the attack on the office of Daily Awami Awaz and said that action should be taken against the attackers. He, however, deplored the arrest of Bhutto by implicating him in the attack and said that it is sheer political victimisation. He demanded the immediate release of Bhutto.
Awami Tehrik president, Abdul Qadir Ranto, senior vice president, Syed Alam Shah and general secretary, Abdul Hakim Halepoto, said that their party was strong supporter of freedom of press and those involved in the attack on Awami Awaz should not be allowed to go Scot free. They, however, condemned the arrest of Mumtaz Bhutto and termed it as political victimization.
Former deputy speaker Sindh Assembly and chief of Sindh United Party, Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah, in a statement issued here on Saturday also condemned the arrest of SNF chief and former Sindh chief minister Mumtaz Ali Bhutto.
He termed the arrest as political victimisation and weakness of the government and added that the government had no courage to listen the voice of dissent.
The central executive committee, Sindh National Party at a meeting held here on Friday has decided to observe the year 2009, as the year of provincial autonomy, protection of Sindh’s resources and struggle. Mr Ameer Bhambhro presided over the meeting.
It adopted several resolutions demanding grant of provincial autonomy, immediate investigation into the assassination of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, release of nationalists leaders, Asif Baladi, Muzaffar Bhutto and others who have already been granted bail by the courts.
It further demanded that the ban on the admission of interior Sindh students in the educational institution of Karachi should be lifted and pre-1990 admission policy should be restored.
It condemned the alleged sale of appointment orders by the MNAs, MPAs and ministers and demanded that the unemployed youth of the backward areas should be given employment on priority basis.
It said that the local bodies system should be abolished and the historic identity of Karachi and Hyderabad should be restored. It called upon the Sindh government to implement the decisions of all parties conference.