KARACHI: Grieving members of Bhand tribe, who have blockaded the N-305 Highway with the bodies of slain tribesmen since Saturday, refused on Monday to bury the victims and end the protest until the arrest of members of the Zardari clan who reportedly killed them in an attack over the weekend.
Mirzapur police station Station House Officer (SHO) Abdul Hameed Khoso and five Bhand tribesmen were shot dead and 10 others were injured in the attack, which was an offshoot of a dispute over possession of 800 acres of farmland near Nawab Wali Muhammad town of Nawabshah district.
The leaders demanded the registration of murder cases against the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Haji Ali Hassan Zardari, Mohsin Zardari, Abid Zardari, Shahzado Zardari, Saleh Zardari and Muharram Memon, among others.
They also demanded the recovery of Ghulam Haider Bhand and Mahmood Mahar whose whereabouts had remained unknown and said that possession of the land should be handed over to them (Bhand) failing which the bodies would not be buried.
The protestors have set up a camp in the middle of the highway, resulting in the closure of the road. The traffic is being diverted to the Indus Highway, the police said.
A large number of political and social personalities have joined the protest led by Sindh United Party (SUP) Secretary General Syed Zain Shah.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ameer Saud Magsi reached the camp and held negotiations with the protesters. He also vowed to provide justice to the clan and assured them that their legitimate demands would be met.
Shah, the secretary general, said similar protests would be staged across Sindh on Monday to press for the immediate arrest of the culprits, and if the demands were not met, a shutdown strike would be observed on Tuesday.
