HYDERABAD, Jan 1: Law-enforcement agencies with the support of army restored normality in the interior of Sindh after four days of violence.
However, public transport remained thin. The Railway service was partially restored on all sectors except between Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas.
In Thatta district, where thousands of PPP activists were accused of loot and arson, a leader and former MPA Ms Sassui Palijo, according to her personal spokesman had gone underground for fear of arrest.
Reports from Tando Allahyar district said FIRs were registered against 2,200 accused. An unidentified body was found in a dirty water pond in Ibrahim Colony. In Matiari district, 23 PPP activists were arrested.
Speaking at a news conference, PPP leader Makhdoom Rafik, younger brother of Makhdoom Amin Faheem, condemned the crackdown. He warned the authorities of serious consequences if victimization of PPP activists was not stopped. An FIR against 200 accused was registered at Husri Police Station.
In Tando Muhammad Khan district 45 FIRs were registered against unidentified arsonists and 60 people arrested. Awami Tahreek also condemned registration of false cases against Tahreek workers.
Our Hyderabad correspondent adds: The city inched back to normality as shop were opened in most of the areas with improvement in traffic.
Kiryana merchants, vegetable and fruit sellers appeared on roads with their pushcarts after five days of forced closure of bazaars and markets. Closure of markets and shops had led to shortage of food supplies that was now improving.
Attendance remained thin but movement of vehicular traffic improved.
CASES: Police lodged several cases against accused for rioting and torching of government properties. The DPO Hyderabad Imran Shaukat claimed that 71 accused were arrested and 34 cases lodged by Monday while goods worth Rs12.5 million recovered so far.
Husri police had lodged a case against Taluka Nazim of Hyderabad (rural) Khawind Bux Jahejo and UC Nazim Husri Abdullah Shoro for torching Husri Police station vide crime No.182/07. More than 40 persons were nominated with 200 unidentified.
TRANSFERRED: The DPOs of Thatta and Jamshoro had been transferred following riots and violence. Police sources confirmed the DPO Thatta Nadir Khoso and DPO Jamshoro Muzaffar Sheikh been asked to relinquish their charge. Khwaja Naveed would replace the DPO Jamshoro while the DSP Headquarters Thatta was officiating as DPO there. The transfers were ordered on Monday evening.
VEGETABLES SUPPLIES: Traders did almost normal business in the city’s main vegetable and fruit market. Vegetable supplies resumed from Monday. A delay is, however, expected in transportation of potato from Punjab that may lead to escalation in prices.According to president of Hyderabad Onion, Potato and Vegetable Commission Agents Group, Altaf Memon shortage of potato was likely because trailers were not transporting it from Punjab. He said onion and tomato were available in sufficient supplies. He said radish and carrot were also available in market.
“Currently 100kg potato bag of potato was available at Rs800 to Rs900 but in next few days it will be around Rs1000-Rs1100”, said Memon.
TRAINS SERVICE RESUMED: Passenger and goods trains services had also been resumed from Karachi. The first train that left Karachi at 4pm was Karakoram and reached Hyderabad after a delay of 45 minutes. It would be followed by 1-up Khyber mail that would leave Karachi at 10pm and would reach Hyderabad at 1am.
Officials said over half a dozen trains carrying oil and cargo left Karachi for different destinations like Muzaffargarh, Lahore and Lal Pir.
SANGHAR: The situation remained normal but commuters faced shortage of transport. Wagons remained off the roads as many were impounded by police for elections duty. Due to fear of police, many transporters had parked their vehicles at safer places.
NAWABSHAH: The situation returned to normal as no incident was reported from any part. Although traffic was thin but transport for other towns was available. Shops were also opened in most parts of the city. However affected business community could not restart their activities and may take more than a month.
The cloth market and mobile phone unions demanded compensation from the Sindh government.
MITHI: After complete shutter down for three days, shops reopened on Monday. However, no bus or truck came here from Karachi or Hyderabad. No English or Urdu newspaper reached here after December 27 (including Dawn). According to reports, bazaars in other towns were also opened on Monday.
MIRPURKHAS: Normalcy returned on Tuesday as bazaars and shopping centres reopened and people including women began purchases.
Traffic remained normal, while transport at Mithi, Khipro, Sanghar, Tando Adam, Umerkot and Hyderabad routes was missing. Train services from Mirpurkhas could not be restored. People from rural areas did not reach city in the absence of transports.
Personnel of law enforcing agencies were deployed on main chowks and roads and patrolling intensified. Normalcy also returned in Mirwah Gorchani, Digri, Tando Jam Mohammad, Jhuddo, Naukot, Kot Ghulam Mohammad, Jhillori and other towns of the district where bazaars were opened.
Markets and bazaars were opened in Umerkot and other towns of the district. However transport remained off the road.
THATTA: Normality was restored in Thatta and paramilitary troops were patrolling the district to keep law and order situation under control.
DADU: Dadu was normal as bazars reopened. The DPO, DCO and other officers also visited city along with GOC Hyderabad Major General Abdul Aziz Tariq. Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Johi, Sehwan and Kotri also remained opened.
The GOC Hyderabad directed the local administration and police to restore law and order. At the arrival of GOC Hyderabad, security was tightened.
JACOBABAD: Business activities got back to normal and bazaars opened.BADIN: Situation in the district remained normal as shops were opened and business was being carried on smoothly. Traffic was also seen on roads however, police and Rangers kept patrolling the roads.
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