MIRPURKHAS, Oct 26: On the call of the Small Growers Association, farmers held a protest demonstration in the Khipro town here on Tuesday against water shortage.

The protesters included activists of the People's Party Parliamentarians, Pakistan Muslim League-F, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz and the Sindh Tarraqi Pasand Party.

Talking to the protesters, Khipro Small Growers Association president Chaudhry Niaz Ahmad accused irrigation officials of demanding bribe for supply water to growers. He alleged that the officials were selling water to landlords.

Dr Mir Alam Mari said Sindh faced water shortage but Punjab was having bumper crops.

He criticized the Sindh government for not preparing any cotton policy.

About the sugarcane crushing season, he said mills had defied the Sindh chief minister's orders in this regard.

Growers' association leader Usman Chaniho lashed out at cotton ginners for not paying fixed price of Rs925 per maund of cotton and criticized the government for not ensuring implementation of its directives.

Hari Committee leader Faqeer Din Mohammad Kumbhar said cotton and ginning factory owners offered low price for cotton to growers.

Mubarak Mari, Ram Singh Sodho, Hayat Junejo, Rais Athar Mari, and Liaquat Kaimkhani also spoke on the occasion.

Later, raising slogans against cotton ginners, the protesters burnt cotton as a mark of protest.

STRIKE: On the call of the Shopkeepers Association, a strike was observed in the Khan town, Mirpurkhas taluka, on Tuesday in protest against a robbery incident in which a trader was injured.

The protesters marched through main roads of the town and raised slogans against police for failing to control crime in the area.

They demanded protection to traders and businessmen and suspension of the SHO of the Khan police station.