KARACHI/LARKANA: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) supporters took out rallies in different cities of Sindh, including Karachi, Larkana, Hyderabad and Naundero, against the arrest of party’s co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the fake accounts case on Monday.
In Karachi, several hundred PPP workers gathered outside the Karachi Press Club and raised slogans in favour of former president Zardari. They also criticised NAB for arresting the PPP senior leader and accused the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of using the anti-graft watchdog for political victimisation of opposition leaders.
A minor scuffle between the frenzied PPP supporters and some workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was also reported. However, there was no report of any political activist being injured in the clash.
In Larkana, PPP workers took out a rally from Kennedy Market soon after the news about Zardari’s arrest was aired by news channels.
The enraged PPP supporters resorted to aerial firing and violence due to which panic gripped the market and shopkeepers were forced to close down their shops.
Led by PPP Larkana District President Abdul Fatah Bhutto, Khair Muhammad Shaikh, Tariq Siyal, Noordin Abro, Amin Shaikh and youth wing office-bearers, the supporters marched towards Jinnah Bagh roundabout where they staged a sit-in while burning tyres and blocking all types of vehicular traffic life which caused tremendous hardships for the commuters.
They alleged that the federal government is targeting opposition leaders and warned both the federal government and NAB chairman to release Zardari or else “millions of jiyalas” will come out for more protests.
In Naundero, a few workers came out in the evening and resorted to aerial firing due to which shopkeepers were forced to close down their business.
They were led by municipality chairman Allah Dino Bhutto, Khalid Memon, Nisar Bhutto, and others.
They burnt tyres and chanted slogans against the arrest of their party’s leader in a corruption case at Allahwalla roundabout. They said that a large number of party workers have faced jails and are ready to go to prisons again.
