HYDERABAD, Sept 13: Chairman Sindh Taraqi Passand Party Dr Qadir Magsi has condemned the arrest of 14 party workers by police in Larkana, raids on the houses of leaders in Tando Allahyar, and arrest of seven activists.

In a statement faxed to Dawn here on Thursday, he alleged that the Larkana administration had unleashed harassment against the STP workers at the instance of a minister.

He said homes of party leader Altaf Jiskani and others were raided in Tando Allahyar by police who arrested seven workers including Asad Jiskani, Noor Mohammad Jogi and Abdul Sattar Madhu adding that their whereabouts were yet not known.

The Sindh government had launched undeclared operation against the STP as it was resisting plans of a coalition partner, he said. He reminded the rulers to be sure these arrests, false cases and state repression will not be able to break the spirit of the STP workers. He warned police against obeying illegal orders of ministers, while demanded immediate release of all workers.

MQM CRITICISED: The Convenor Pakhtoonkhwa National Democratic Alliance, District Chapter, Haji Sher Zaman has criticised the MQM chief Altaf Hussain of speaking against the Awami National Party. He said funeral processions of Pakhtoon youths on May 12 were testaments to the fact that they were murdered by the government-backed terrorists.

He said this in a meeting of the alliance at the ANP Secretariat on Thursday. He alleged that whenever Pervez Musharraf needed unrest through civilians, he used the MQM. He said May 12 incident, siege of the Sindh High Court and murder of lawyer Raja Riaz were proofs to this fact.

The meeting adopted a resolution condemning arrest of political leaders and activists and demanded immediate release of All-Party Democratic Movement supporters. It observed prices of essential consumer goods on the eve of Ramazan had been increased by 100 per cent. It condemned the deteriorating law and order situation in the country and the ongoing military operation in Waziristan and said a conspiracy had been hatched to enslave Pakhtoons.