Switching loyalties: PPP leaders demand Zulfiqar Mirza's family resign from legislature

Former home minister attacks police station, rivals’ shops

KARACHI/ BADIN: Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) Badin leadership has asked MNA Dr Fehmida Mirza, the wife of Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, and his son, MPA Hasnain Mirza, to resign from their posts after the recent attacks on traders and a police station in Badin city by the former home minister.

"It is an act of terrorism," said MNA and PPP district president Kamal Khan Chang. "We appeal to the court to take back his security detail," he added. He also requested to deny him the privileges of private security guards.

Chang, accompanied by two members of the Sindh Assembly, Mir Allah Bux Talpur and Mohammad Nawaz Chandio, as well as other district party leaders and traders, advised the family of the former home minister to consult a psychiatrist for his treatment.

Earlier on Sunday, dozens of Dr Mirza's supporters staged a protest against the police and PPP leaders in Badin city. They shouted slogans against the latter, including Mallah, Memon, MNA Kamal Khan Chang, who is also the new district president for the party and Dr Abdul Aziz, the newly-appointed general secretary.

The former home minister joined the protesters and, after a short speech, moved to the shops owned by Mallah and Memon. "Memon managed to escape while Mallah hid inside the shop," sources told The Express Tribune. Dr Mirza forced them to close their shops and misbehaved with the PPP leaders, their relatives and servants, according to witnesses. "He slapped my nephew and beat my servants," said Mallah.

After attacking Mallah and Memon's shops, Dr Mirza and his supporters stormed the police station. "He attacked the police station and threatened all the police personnel," said DSP Samoon. The former home minister allegedly damaged the furniture in the police station and broke DSP Samoon's mobile phone. He also insisted the police officials register FIRs against former president Asif Ali Zardari, his sister MNA Faryal Talpur, local PPP leaders and Badin SSP Khalid Mustafa Korai.

The reason for the recent clash is said to be a rally organised by Dr Mirza's supporters in the city on Thursday. Scores of people attended the rally, blocking all the main roads of the city for over two hours.

On Sunday morning, plainclothes police officials detained Nadeem Ahmed Mughal, a close aide of Dr Mirza, who also led the recent rally. The attempt to arrest Mughal failed when his aides reached the spot and did not allow the police to take him into custody.

"Mughal is wanted in a car theft case," said Badin DSP Abdul Qadir Samoon.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2015.