BADIN: A large police force supported by commandos faced a small but battle-ready armed guards backed by several hundred protesters on Tuesday when the uniformed personnel besieged the farms of former home minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza apparently to arrest some of his close associates nominated in several cases at the Badin police station over the past few days.

Reports from the area suggested that besides Dr Mirza’s personal guards, private security unit and armed close aides, a private force of 50 armed men and women belonging to the minority community was formed to protect the Mirza family.

The 300-strong police contingent and commandos laid a siege to the Mirza Farmhouse at Maurjhar, near Badin city, but remained confined to their mobile vans and armoured personnel carriers for several hours sending messages to the armed guards they did not intend to arrest Dr Mirza.

Although the police force withdrew without arresting anyone, the siege sparked off street protests across Badin district as supporters of Dr Mirza took out rallies and staged demonstrations against the provincial government, district administration, police and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) high command for what they believed “vengeful action against the Mirza family”.

Police said they were ordered to arrest a few suspects involved in the recent storming of the Badin police station and ransacking of some shops by a mob led by Dr Mirza. They said the suspects were hiding in Mirza Farmhouse to escape arrest. They said they did not intend to arrest Dr Mirza as he had already obtained pre-arrest bail.

Condemning the police operation against his supporters, Dr Mirza told the media on Tuesday that there was every likelihood of his killing at the hands of the police led by Badin SSP Ghulam Murtaza Korai at the behest of his political rival and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

“He and his cronies are trying to stop me from revealing facts but I am determined to go to the judiciary and disclose everything I know,” he said.

SSP’s version

SSP Korai held a press conference in his office in the evening to explain his position. He said Dr Mirza and some of his aides were nominated in various cases and when a police party went to the Mirza Farmhouse some of the armed men present inside opened fire on the police party. The SSP spoke of pressure from Badin district traders for the arrest of the suspects, adding that action could be taken at any time in this regard.

He said he had great respect for Dr Mirza and MNA Dr Fehmida Mirza and hoped that the latter would not allow anyone to take the law into their hands. He said Dr Mirza recently said in court that he might be arrested by an honest police officer and later Hyderabad SSP Irfan Baloch spoke to him. However, he said Dr Mirza did not agree to make the suspects surrender themselves to the SSP. Eventually, he said, a big police contingent drawn from Karachi, Thatta, Hyderabad, Tando Allahyar and Tando Mohammed Khan police stations took part in an action to arrest the suspects. He said Dr Mirza himself was granted protective bail in three of the four cases registered against him. The fourth one was registered against him at the Tando Bago police station and he was not on bail in that case, he explained.

Chaos and panic

The entire Badin district remained rife with rumours since morning with Badin city, Golarchi, Tando Bago, Nindo Shahar, Khoski, Kadhan, Shadi Large, Pangrio, Sangi Furho and several other towns staying shut and witnessing protest by emotionally charged supporters of Dr Mirza.

Soon after the news of “a major police operation” to arrest Dr Mirza and his close aides spread in the district, there were rumours of the arrests and even of Dr Mirza having sustained gunshot wounds during the police operation.

Groups of angry protesters roamed the streets of the affected towns raising slogans against the Zardaris, Sindh government and police and vowing to protect the Mirza family at any cost.

There were also reports of firing into the air by the protesters at some places.

Badin district remained in a great deal of chaos, panic and tension until withdrawal of the police force from the Mirza Farmhouse soon after Dr Fehmida Mirza’s press conference in Karachi was aired by private TV channels.

The shutdown in most areas was also ended.

PPP youth wing launches counter offensive

Pakistan Peoples Party youth wing on Tuesday organised rallies and demonstrations against the unending outbursts of former home minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza against PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, his certain family members and other party colleagues.

PPP activists and supporters in various cities and towns of Badin, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Jacobabad, Shikarpur and Shaheed Benazirabad districts held demonstrations to reaffirm their full confidence in the leadership of Mr Zardari.

Local activists leading the rallies and demonstrations warned Dr Mirza against continuing with his maligning campaign against their leaders.

They also warned of a matching response if the disowned PPP leader did not stop using spiteful language against Mr Zardari, MNA Faryal Talpur and other senior PPP leaders.

They noted that Dr Mirza’s supporters were torching portraits of PPP leaders to vent their anger. They said the PPP high command had directed them to exercise restraint and not to get provoked by such activities. However, they said, if all this did not stop, they would give a befitting response to such intolerable acts.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2015

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