KHAIRPUR, Sept 17: Three PPP candidates — Syed Javed Ali Shah (NA-216), Shaukat Rajpar (PS-31), and Zahid Banbhan (PS-33) — have alleged that at least 60 PML-F workers barged into the house of Nazar Mohammad Bhatti, tortured him, removed party flags, and hoisted those of the PML-F in Choondko, Nara Taluka, on Monday night.

They said this in a press conference on Tuesday.

Mr Shah claimed that Mr Nazar along with his partymen had announced to support PPP candidates in the general elections and had also hoisted PPP flags at his residence.

He said that on the pretext of supporting PPP candidates, Nazar had been victimized by PML-F workers.

He further said that in the wee hours of Tuesday the PML-F workers again went to the village of Mr Nazar, where they harassed his family.

Mr Nazar, who was present in the press conference, alleged that he had been tortured, his family members had been harassed and deprived of household goods.

Mr Shah appealed to the Election Commission to control the law and order situation and have the army deployed in Nara Taluka until the elections were held.

On being contacted, the DPO, Khairpur, Afzal Malik, told this correspondent that some people had come to him with complaints and he had directed the DSP, Kot Diji, to visit the site and report.

KILLED: Three armed robbers barged into a house and killed a woman, Wazir Fatima (70), when she tried to raise an alarm in Sadat Colony, Luqman, Khairpur, on Monday.

HUNGER STRIKE: The activists of the Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party observed a token hunger strike here on Monday to press the gas companies of Nara taluka to recruit local people.

Led by the STPP leaders, Manzoor Palh and Kashif Shah, they were demanding jobs for local people in gas exploration companies working in Nara taluka, gas royalty to the Khairpur district, repair of the damaged SCARP tubewells, improvement in law and order situation in the district and end of water shortage.

AT: leader of the Sindh Water Committee (SWC) and Awami Tehrik, Abrar Kazi, has said that the Reni canal is beneficial for Sindh province but the federal government wants to freeze the issue of “illegal” construction of the greater Thal canal by raising the issue of the Reni canal at this juncture.

He was talking to journalists and advocates during his visit to Khairpur district.