NAWABSHAH, Aug 5: At least 14 people, including seven policemen, were injured in a clash here on Tuesday during a strike against water shortage and accumulation of rain water in the city.

A complete shutter-down strike was observed here on the call of different social organizations, against the municipal administration for its failure to provide drinking water and the poor sanitary conditions of the city.

Hundreds of protesters, led by Syed Noor Mohammad Shah of the Shehri Action Committee and Abdul Majeed of the Shehar Bachao Tehrik, gathered outside the Taluka Council office.

The protesters who came from various localities chanted slogans against the district Nazim, Taluka Nazim, DCO and TMO. They burnt an effigy of the district Nazim. Later, they barged into the Taluka Municipal Office.

The protesters broke into the office of the Taluka Nazim, Naib Nazim, council hall and telephone exchange from where they took out the furniture and set it on fire. Later, they also set fire to three tractors, a truck, and a car (ABS-294), which belonged to MPA Ghulam Qadir Chandio.

The protesters took out the records from the sanitation branch, tore it and set it on fire.

District Police Officer Dr Ghulam Sarwar Jamali and Taluka Police Officer Zubair Drashek arrived at the spot along with a heavy contingent and dispersed the mob with the help of aerial firing.

Taluka Nazim Ali Akbar Jamali, MPA Ghulam Qadir Chandio and the municipal staff had locked themselves in an upper storey of the building to protect themselves from the wrath of the protesters.

The DPO and DCO then requested the leaders of the protesters to control the mob and hold negotiations. However, the latter refused saying that they wanted to meet the press first.

Police resorted to tear gas shelling to disperse the mob and a clash between the police and the protesters ensued.

Soon Indus Rangers mobiles arrived at the spot to control the situation.

The names of the policemen who were injured were ascertained as ASI Siddique Arain, Constables Majid Ali Korai, Fida Hussain, Ghulam Nabi, Talib Gupchhani, Latif and DIP in charge Abdul Rauf Jamali.

Of the seven protesters who were injured, only the names of three could be ascertained. They were Shakir Ali, Majid and Ashiq. All the injured were taken to the PMC Hospital.

FIR LODGED: An FIR was lodged by Taluka Nazim Ali Akbar Jamali at the A-Section police station under sections 147, 148, 324, 333, 336, 353, and 427 in which Abdul Majeed and 200 others were nominated. However, police was not ready to nominate Syed Noor Mohammad Shah in the FIR.

An FIR (No125/2003) was lodged at the A-Section police station by MPA Ghulam Qadir Chandio under section 147, 148, 324, 357A, 427, and 435 nominating Syed Noor Mohammad Shah, Shahid Ali, Syed Imran, Dr Iqbal, Hafeez, Rao Faisal and Mohammad Iqbal.