HYDERABAD, Nov 14: Activists of different political parties and OGDCL employees staged separate demonstrations here on Friday to protest against the government’s decision to privatise Qadirpur gas field.

The biggest protest was mounted by several hundred activists of the Sindh United Party outside the bungalow of Federal Minister for Finance and Privatisation Syed Naveed Qamar in Latifabad.

The unannounced protest demonstration was led by SUP leaders Dr Dodo Mehri and Agha Qamar Mushwani.

The activists had come in buses and other vehicles. They besieged the bungalow of Mr Qamar and raised vociferous slogans against him.

They also burnt tyres and the portraits of the federal minister and blocked the road for over one hour.

Speaking on the occasion, the SUP leaders said that the people of Sindh were the owners of their resources and added that these resources would not be allowed to be auctioned by the federal government.

Despite immense resources, the people of Sindh were facing hunger, poverty and unemployment, the SUP leaders said and added that the privatisation of Sindh’s assets will further add to the miseries of the people of the province.

Several police mobiles reached there at the end of the protest demonstration but the protesters dispersed peacefully and no action was taken by the police.

Meanwhile, the employees of Kunnar oil field staged a protest demonstration and hunger strike outside the local press club against the proposed privatisation of the gas field.

The workers appealed to President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to shelve the proposal of privatisation, failing which all the oil and gas fields of OGDCL would be closed.

Yet another demonstration on the same issue was staged by the activists of the Sindh National Front and its student wing outside the Hyderabad Press Club.

Meanwhile, the leaders of Save Sindh’s Resources Committee met with the SNF chairman Mumtaz Ali Bhutto at his Karachi residence and held discussions on the privatisation of Sindh’s resources.

A SNF press release said that Syed Ghulam Shah, Riaz Chandio, Rasool Bux Thebo and Mansoor Khaskheli informed Mr Bhutto about unrest among the people of Sindh due to the proposed privatisation of the gas field.

Mr Bhutto said that the people of Sindh will not allow the auction of provincial assets. He supported the strike call of the committee for November 22.

In Sukkur and Mirpur Mathelo also rallies were taken out and demonstrations were staged to protest against the proposed privatisation of the gas field.

Scores of SNF workers took the streets from Old Sukkur, shouted slogans against the government and privatisation of Qadirpur gas field, marched on the main thoroughfares of the city and reached at press club, where they staged a protest demonstration.

Dozens of Sunni Tehrik workers also staged a protest demonstration outside the Sukkur Press Club on the same issue.

The protestors were carrying banners and placards inscribed with the slogans against the privatisation of gas fields.

In Mirpur Mathelo, hundreds of activists of the SNF, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaaz, Jeay Sindh Mahaaz, SUP, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F), Citizens Alliance and Watan Dost Mazdoor Federation took out a rally against the privatisation.

Addressing the protestors, Jam Fatah Samejo, Syed Lal Shah, Shabbir Shar and others condemned the government for what they termed selling national assets including Qadirpur gas fields at a throwaway price and added that, Sindh was the main stakeholder of Qadirpur gas field, therefore, the federal government has no right to sell it off.

They said that, earlier the government had privatized PTCL, Pak Saudi Fertiliser and other units, which resulted into unemployment of thousands of workers.

They said that the government should privatise such units, which have become a burden on the national exchequer and added that Qadirpur gas fields were generating profits.

In Dadu, Pakistan People’s Party-SB activists staged a demonstration to vent their anger over the privatisation of the gas filed.