DADU, July 6: A complete strike was observed here on Friday in protest against Thursday’s killing of a protester and injuries to 12 others during a police action to disperse a joint procession taken out by Awami Tehrik and Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party.

Both the STP and AT have claimed the deceased protester, Ashiq Hussain Birhamani, was their activist.

All main bazaars and shopping centres remained closed during the strike as activists of STP and AT took out a procession and marched on roads before assembling in front of the press club.

Addressing the protesters, STP leader Ayaz Tunio said that Ashiq Birhamani was hit by a bullet when police opened fire on their joint rally at the SSP Chowk.

He said the procession had been taken out in protest against failure of police to arrest killers of an activist Bashir Birhamani who was gunned down in Wahi Pandhi town by influential persons.

Mr Tunio held ASP Sajid Amir and SSP Farooque Awan of Dadu responsible for Ashiq’s death and demanded registration of a case against the police officials.

AT activist Mumtaz Bhand said that police were refusing to register FIR against their officials. He threatened to continue protest till the registration of Birhmani’s murder case against police officials.

The strike was also observed in Wahi Pandhi, native town of Ashiq Birhamani, where townspeople and shopkeepers took out a procession, demanding arrest of police officials involved in his murder.

Birhamani was buried in his native graveyard in Wahi Pandhi and a large number of activists of nationalist parties attended the burial.

ASP of Dadu city Sajid Amir told Dawn that two policemen had been sent to quarter guard following the incident.

One of them was head constable Saleh Almani, he said and declined to disclose name of the other constable. Both were undergoing investigation, he said.

The policemen were arrested after a complaint lodged by brother of the deceased Ashique. Police were ready to lodge the FIR but he said he would lodge the FIR against police officials later, he said.

A correspondent adds from Hyderabad: AT activists observed hunger strike outside the local press club I protest Dadu police and PPP government.

President of the Hyderabad chapter of AT, Noor Ahmed Katiar, said that six people belonging to AT and Sindhyani Tehrik were seriously injured in police fire on Thursday and had been hospitalised in Hyderabad.

They wounded were; Asadullah Birhamani, Najeeb Birhamani, Ameer Zadi, Maryam Birhamani, Noor Jahan Birhamani and Sibirani Birhamani and most of them had sustained gunshot wounds.

He said that if Bashir’s killers were arrested, Thursday’s incident would not have happened and urged Chief Justice of Pakistan and Chief Justice of Sindh High Court to take suo motu action of the incident, suspend SSP Farooque Awan who was allegedly involved in killing Bashir 45 days ago and Ashique on Thursday in Dadu.

STP: STP activists also demonstrated outside the press club in protest against the killing of protester in police action in Dadu a day before.

Feroz Mangi, district president of STP, said that instead of serving justice, police attacked peaceful protesters.

The PPP government was the least concerned about law and order in the province, he said and warned if the situation persisted, PPP leaders would not be able to come out of their homes during upcoming elections.