A file photo os Sindh Police personnel. PHOTO: AFP
HYDERABAD:
Syed Ali Haider Shah, a resident of Umerkot, on Sunday has a different story to tell about the alleged police brutality against women and girls in the recent incident of eviction in Umerkot.
The images of women being beaten and a young girl sitting in a police mobile, her chador – a symbol of modesty in rural society – snatched away, created a storm on the social media as well as political circles.
At least 10 policemen were suspended for the use of excessive force. Squatters were allowed to go back to the plot from where they were evicted.
The legal owner of the plot, Haider Shah said the suffering of the Machhi community could have been avoided if the court order to vacate the plot had been complied with.
Addressing a press conference at the Hyderabad Press Club along with Habib Shah and Saif Shah, he condemned the humiliation faced by women and girls during the eviction process, stating that such a situation would not have arisen had the Machhi community vacated the land in accordance with the court’s directives.
Ali Haider Shah said that plots No. 909 and 916, measuring 10,000 square feet, were purchased by his late father, Syed Hussain Ali Shah, from Alam Palli about three decades ago. He explained that earlier, Alam Khan Palli had temporarily allowed the Machhi community to reside on around 2,000 square feet of the land. However, after selling the property, the previous owner asked them to vacate the space. They initially sought some time but later approached the courts.
He said his late father fought a prolonged legal battle to establish ownership of the land, and after his father’s death, the power of attorney was transferred to their mother. According to him, the case continued for 32 years, and ultimately courts at all levels declared the Machhi community’s claim false and ordered the land to be vacated.
He added that the court had directed that the plots be vacated and possession handed over to them in the presence of a city surveyor, bailiff and police. However, when the operation was carried out, members of the Machhi community refused to vacate the land, worsening the situation. The action was later postponed following the intervention of local elders to allow tensions to subside.
Ali Haider Shah further said that a campaign had been launched against them on social media without hearing their side of the story, which he described as unfair and damaging to their family’s reputation. He maintained that they possessed all legal documents of the property but still had to fight a lengthy legal battle.
He alleged that instead of occupying 2,000 square feet, the Machhi community had taken over the entire 10,000 square feet plot. He appealed to social media users and the public to examine the matter carefully and form an opinion only after hearing both sides to ensure justice and avoid injustice or humiliation to anyone.
