Police disrupt prep for Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s welcome

PTI leader’s close associate arrested, released after locals surrounded police station

MITHI:

The quaint town of Chachro was abuzz with political and spiritual humdrum as devout followers raced to the local police station to jump their spiritual leader Nizamuddin Rahimoon.

A few SUVs and double cabins and scores of people on foot laid siege to the Chachro police station deep in the Thar desert, where people might live without water but not without the blessings of their pir.

The candidate of Sindh Assembly constituency PS-54 Nizamuddin Rahimoon and Advovate Lajpat Surani arrested by the police in the Chahchro area when they were making arrangements for the jalsa of PTI leader and Ghousia Jamaat Chief Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi who is a candidate for NA-214.

Rahimoon is the local head of the spiritual order of the Ghousia Jamaat and a close associate of Qureshi. His arrest made waves in the sand-swept districts of Thar region enraging the followers Qureshi, who holds great sway in Sindh.

Read: PTI candidates among 50 rounded up

Meanwhile, PTI leader and former MNA Lal Kumar Malhi, who was coming from Umarkot to Chachro, was stopped by the Tharparkar police and not allowed to enter Chahchro town.

Subsequently, followers of the Ghousia Jamaat reached the police station in large numbers and protested, after which police released the arrested leaders.

On the other hand, Tharparkar police stopped former PTI MNA, Lal Kumar Malhi, who was coming from Umarkot to Chachro in the same corner meeting, by blocking the road at Kantu stop and did not let him go further

On this occasion, PTI leader Lal Kumar Malhi said that PTI candidates are not being allowed to conduct election campaign across Sindh. Party leader Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi was planning to hold a rally in Chachro for election campaign, but the Tharparkar police did not allow the rally and they are also not being allowed to go to Chhachro, but the workers will continue their struggle.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 20^th, 2024.