LARKANA, Nov 5: The members of the district council (DC), Larkana, on Tuesday expressed grave concern over exonerating the culprits, who were involved in stealing 40 seals from the museum of Moenjodaro, during preliminary investigation by the police.

The session, chaired by Nazir Ahmed Bughio, urged the ministry of interior, the Sindh governor, the home secretary, Sindh, and the department of archaeology to apprise the session about the proceedings.

Muhib Pirzado, Nazim, union council Bagi (Moenjodaro), in his resolution alleged that the investigation officer, Dokri, had deliberately excluded the names of the alleged thieves.

Athar Abbas Solangi, Nazim, union council Badah, taking the rostrum invited the DPO, investigation, to visit Badah where he, himself, would lead him to the doors of the culprits.

He said that it was quite surprising that the police was not laying hands on the criminals.

Amir Bakhsh Gaad, the chief whip, Mohammed Khan Channa, Nazim union council Badah-I, Aijaz Leghari, Abdul Qadir Sangi, Mrs Khursheed Talat Khatyan, and Khair Mohammed Shaikh supported the resolution.

The Nazims — Safdar Mithani (Larkana) and Mohammed Hayat Shaikh (Nasirabad) — criticized the district Nazim for his slackness regarding it.

Dr Niaz Chandio, chairman, District Public Safety Commission (DPSC), Larkana, said that the DPO, investigation, had complicated the matter.

He requested the session to write to the DPSC to bring to book the real culprits.

All the members excluding women held a token walkout from the session for 10 minutes to register their resentment over the delay and negligence on the part of the police.

Athar Abbas Solangi later told this correspondent that earlier the same investigation officers had apprised the session about the involvement of Aijaz Tunio, Mumtaz Brohi, Ali Mohammed Brohi, and Ali Dost Brohi in the burglary at the museum of Mohenjodaro, and added that their names had now been removed from the inquiry.

Participating in the debate over the issue of salaries to the local bodies employees, which was raised by Ghaus Bakhsh Chandio, the members — Badaruddin Abbasi, Manzoor Chandio, and Mohammed Hayat Shaikh — called for making a permanent arrangement regarding payment to employees.

Hayat Shaikh pointed towards the irregularities committed in making appointments in the local health department and held the EDO, health, responsible for this mess.

The convener said that an inquiry should be conducted into this kind of irregularity and the EDO, health, should be asked to clear his position before the session.

Khair Mohammed Shaikh said that with the installation of new police officers the crime rate in the district had increased where no day passed by without a crime being committed and called for withdrawing bogus cases of preparing fake national identity cards registered against Shahid Bhutto, Khalid Iqbal Memon, and Ayaz Soomro (MPA-elect).

CLOSURE OF SCHOOLS: Two senior citizens of Larkana, Dost Mohammed Chandio and Roshan Ali Jamali, sat on hunger strike outside the District Assembly Hall on Tuesday, when it was in session, to protest against the closure of hundreds of primary boys and girls schools in the district.

Talking to this correspondent, Mr Jamali said that around 300 schools had been closed in the district since last year.

He even gave the names of a few schools which had been closed including Ratokot, Mithodero, Fakir Bakhshal Bugti, Shahbaig Jamali, Fazul Malgani, Abdul Razzak Chandoi, Aijaz Ahmed Brohi, Mir Niaz Ahmed Brohi, Saifal Solangi and Chavira.

They demanded that these schools be reopened on an urgent basis.

EDO: When this correspondent contacted the executive district officer (EDO), Education, Shahnawaz Memon, said on Tuesday, that around 260 schools were already closed when he took charge.

He said that with continuous efforts at least 80 schools had been made operational and efforts were going on to make more schools functional in the district within the minimum possible period.