HYDERABAD, Jan 25: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s special task force for Sindh here on Wednesday released a report of its fact-finding team which had visited the Hubro Patel village near Tando Ghulam Ali on Jan 19 to ascertain facts about torching of 36 houses of Kolhis by a local landlord.

It was recommended in the report that the affected people should be paid compensation for their losses and they should be provided with alternative accommodation.

The report maintained that it was the duty of the district nazim and the taluka nazim to ensure justice to the people.

The HRCP team comprised task force coordinator Nasreen Shakeel Pathan, Ashiq Ali Meso, Lala Abdul Haleem Shaikh and photographer Rehan Khan.

According to the report, the team met the affected people, who said they were living in the village for 100 years.

They said that 15 days ago, landlord Dr Abdullah asked them to vacate his land because he had sold it out. They said they requested for two-month time to make alternative arrangements but the landlord sent tractors and started demolishing their houses.

The villagers said they went to the police station but were assured that nothing would happen.

They said that the same day at 8pm, Chaudhry Azmatullah, son of Dr Abdullah, Ashfaq, Kamdar Jalal Khoso, Rasool Bux Khoso and others, who were armed, started torching their houses and on protest, two villagers, Faqir and Verson, were injured.

The report said that 19 of 36 houses and household items had been burnt completely.

Police had registered an FIR on a complaint of Shaggan and arrested Dr Abdullah and Kamdar Jalal Khoso. However, Chaudhry Azmatullah, Ashfaq and the other accused had not been arrested.

The affected Kolhis told the team that People’s Party Parliamentarians MPA Mir Babu Talpur had also visited the village and provided 12 tents and ration.

The team also visited the Tando Ghulam Ali police station and met ASI Asghar Khan.

The team members also met the accused Dr Abdullah, who was sitting in the office of the SHO, and Jalal Khoso.

Dr Abdullah denied the torching of the houses and termed it a drama staged by Kolhis. Jalal Khoso denied that he was a Kamdar of Dr Abdullah.

The team expressed surprise that the accused Dr Abdullah was being given VIP treatment and he also had mobile phone facility. It said the accused should be kept in a police lockup.