HYDERABAD, Dec 29: Eleven people including five women and an ASI were injured when a heavy contingent of the Jamshoro and Kotri police started beating the residents of Liaquat University of Medical Health and Science (LUMHS) Colony on Sunday who were protesting against the policies of the LUMHS administration and demanding redressal of their grievances including restoration of the gas supply to their colony.
The protesters were led by Action Committee leaders — Mukhtar Shah, Habibullah Lashari, Wazeer Lashari, Mazhar Phal, Peter Masih, Qurban Soomro, Shahnawaz Burfat, and Niaz Rajar.
The residents held a sit-in at the main entrance of the LUMHS. Their sit-in continued for about an hour when police came and started beating them with lathis.
Police also subjected two journalists, Nadeem Panwhar and Irfan Burfat, to violence and forcibly prevented them from performing their professional duties. Police snatched Nadeem’s camera, which led to a strong argument between newsmen and police.
Reports from Jamshoro indicated that 30 people including women and children had been injured.
However, the Liaquat University Hospital Jamshoro confirmed that 11 people had been admitted to the hospital.
ASI Mohammad Hassan Chandio was, however, shifted to the Civil Hospital Hyderabad.
After the residents were mercilessly beaten by the police at the LUMHS entrance, they returned to their colony where they held a sit-in to protest against the police brutalities with the result that they were again subjected to violence.
The police manhandled the injured in the hospital and took several of them into custody. Hot words were also exchanged between the police and doctors on duty over the way the police barged into the hospital’s casualty ward.
Despite repeated attempts, this correspondent was unable to contact the police officials and the LUMHS administration officials regarding their version of the story.
According to the chief medical officer, LMU Hospital Jamshoro, Dr Rafique Leghari, most of the injured had been discharged from the hospital, whereas the Jamshoro police said that they were still admitted there.
Dr Rafique has lodged a case against unknown persons for breaking the windowpanes of the casualty ward.
Five Action Committee leaders — Mukhtar Shah, Habib Lashari, Wazeer Lashari, Peter Maseeh, and Mazhar Ali Phal — have been arrested by the police following registration of two separate cases at the Jamshoro police station.