LARKANA, June 4: A strike by clerks paralysed work in the offices of the education department in Larkana on Monday.

They were protesting against the transfer of a colleague from here to Karachi.

On a protest call of the All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA), Larkana chapter, clerks boycotted their duties. At a meeting, they condemned the transfer of Mohammed Kamil Sargani, an assistant in the education office, and called for withdrawal of the orders.

Later, they took to the roads and assembled outside Jinnah Bagh where they burnt tyres and staged a sit-in led by Sabir Soomro, president of the APCA of Larkana.

Addressing the protesters, Mr Soomro termed the transfer of Kamil Sargani, replacing him with Serwar Jatoi, a man inducted from the ‘technical education’ section, uncalled for.

The transferred clerk had been asked to report to Sindh Secretariat in Karachi, he said and alleged that Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomoro was behind what he called the illegal transfer.

Safdar Mughal, senior vice-president of APCA’s Larkana chapter, termed the transfer in contravention of the services rules.

He accused the minister of transferring Sargani to accommodate his favourite person.

Meanwhile, Ghulam Rasool Kansaro, a retired peon of the irrigation department, held a demonstration outside the irrigation office on Monday in protest against non-provision of job to his son Muhammed Akhtar Kanasro on son’s quota.

Liaquat Bhatti, president, APCA, irrigation unit, Larkana, said the superintendent engineer of the northern division of the department had deviated from his commitment of appointing the son of the retired peon in line with the set policy under ‘son quota’ and appointed another man on the post.

He called for cancelling the appointment order of Ali Asghar Khokhar and giving the job to the son of the retired employee.

Over 50 faint after taking poisonous Lassi

More than 50 people fell unconscious after drinking poisonous ‘Lassi’ on Monday in the village of Chakar Khan Luhar situated on the outskirts of the city.

Residents of the village bought ‘Lassi’ from the cattle pan of Chakar Ali Luhar regularly, said Altaf Luhar in the casualty unit of Chandka Medical College Hospital.

Those who consumed the Lassi felt abdominal discomfort, vomiting and cramps. They were immediately shifted to the CMCH while children were admitted in the CMC children hospital, where they were recovering.

Ms Sheher Bano, an affected woman, said that a lizard had fallen into ‘Lassi’ which had turned it poisonous.