NAWABSHAH/LARKANA: The Naushahro Feroze police on Monday arrested senior politician and Grand Democratic Allia­nce (GDA) leader Ghulam Mur­taza Khan Jatoi from outside the district and sessions court.

Mr Jatoi, who is also a former minister, had arrived in the court for the hearing of a case dur­ing which he was granted inte­rim bail in a sum of Rs 15,000.

A strong contingent of police was already present outside the court and as soon as Mr Jatoi reached the court’s gate, he was taken into custody.

SSP of Naushahro Feroze Sanghar Ali, when contacted, told Dawn that an Anti-Terrorism Court had also issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of Mr Jatoi in some other case. He was arrested in compliance of the ATC orders, he added.

“He has been kept in safe custody in Nawabshah and will be produced in the ATC on Tuesday,” said the SSP. Before his arrest, Mr Jatoi told journalists present at the court that he was not afraid of such “fake” cases.

He said his arrest was a clear contempt of court as the Sindh High Court had restrained security agencies from registering any case against him without SHC’s permission.

At the B-Section police station of Nawabshah, his brother and former provincial minister Masroor Jatoi met Ghulam Murt­aza Jatoi. A number of National Peoples Party (NPP) workers, including Ali Jan Rind and Mumtaz Jatoi also gathered there and protested against their leader’s arrest.

Meanwhile a shutterdown strike was observed in New Jatoi and nearby towns in protest against Mr Jatoi’s arrest.

It is learnt that the ATC order was related to an FIR lodged at the Moro police station on the complaint of one, Hashim Zard­ari against the NPP chief, his son, Bilawal, their bodyguards and 20 unknown suspects.

Speaking at a news conference in the Larkana Press Club, GDA General Secretary Dr Safdar Abbasi strongly condemned Mr Jatoi’s arrest and called it political victimisation by PPP aimed at gagging its opponents’ voice. “But we are determined to criticise rising graph of corruption, deteriorating law and order situation and the serious issue of irrigation water and new canals,” he said.

He demanded immediate release the former federal minister and hinted at launching a protest campaign against the political victimisation and calculated moves against GDA leaders in Sindh. He said Sindh was moving towards anarchy. He claimed that Sindh government had already lost its writ and was out to fully use police and government machinery against GDA leaders.

In this regard, he cited the cases earlier registered against ex-GDA MPA from Larkana Moazzim Abbasi and his son under the Anti-Terrorism Act. In Dadu, cases were registered against Liaquat Ali Jatoi and his friends. He said Murtaza Jatoi’s status in GDA was ‘No. 2’ after its head Pir Pagara. He said Mr Jatoi is a member of GDA’s core committee.

He dubbed the “political victimization” as fascism and asked government to desist from taking such steps, as according to him opposition would not sit idle over such moves.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2025