THATTA, Jan 2 Mohammad Soomar Mir Bahar alias Bijli, 56, a diehard worker of the PPP, and a proud holder of a coloured copy of the National Identity Card of the party's founder and former premier, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, is now desperate and disheartened of the step-motherly attitude of the local party leaders towards the old guard.

He still has fond memories of the party's struggle and the golden moments, when he was handed over a coloured copy of the national identity card of the charismatic leader at the coastal town Var.

He said that during the 1977 elections, he was infuriated when saw Amir Ali Shah Hukai, the rival candidate of Z.A Bhutto contesting from the coastal constituency in Thatta. He recalled that he climbed over the moving jeep snatched the megaphone from Hukai's hands and raised slogans in favour of Bhutto.

The police on duty and some supporters of Amir Ali Shah not only had ruthlessly beaten him up, but he was locked up in a room of a nearby veterinary hospital, as there was no police lockup in Var town.

On the second day of the incident, Mr Bhutto arrived for the campaign and upon learning about the detention of a party worker in a veterinary hospital's room; he along with thousands of activists stormed it and got Bijli Mir Bahar released.

Mr Bhutto in recognition of his loyalties gave him a coloured copy of his NIC card (101-20-000001) depicting his date of birth i.e. 5th of January 1928 and mark of identity, a scar on his forehead.

Entrusting the national identity card to a person of little worth like him was a great award to him, Soomar contended. He said, while handing over the NIC, Mr Bhutto said “This would help address his and his party colleagues' problems where ever be shown in Pakistan.”

Soomar recalls that later, he was also honoured visits to his hutment by party chairperson Begum Nusrat Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto.

In the year 1983 and in 1986 during the MRD Movement he was lodged in central jail Hyderabad for about two years. During Jam Sadiq Ali's governance Soomar said that he was periodically kept incarcerated in different jails and was politically victimized.

In 1994, the then chief minister of Sindh, Syed Abdullah Shah, on the directives of Benazir Bhutto came to his straw-made hotel in Var town in his absence, which astonished the local people. He said, later on the then deputy commissioner Thatta, Dr Fazallulah Pechuho, told him that as acknowledgement of his political services the government had allotted him this plot of hotel.

Soomar Bijli who is also member of district working committee of the party and gained unparallel popularity for chanting slogans, and titled Bijli (lightning) seems to be disheartened particularly due to the attitude of provincial minister for coordination Abdul Jalil Memon, and MPA Usman Jalbani who hails from Thatta, during his recent visit to minister's office in Karachi, alleged he was publicly belittled by saying that 'he was not their voter but a mere worker'.

Bijli said that the old workers who scarified a lot were being pushed to the wall while non-entities were enjoying the party's power.