HYDERABAD: Workers of the Seri and Tando Mohammad Khan sugar mills on Tuesday blocked Phulelli Road in Tando Mohammad Khan district against the alleged forcible occupation of the mills by, what they believed, henchmen of an industrialist group.HYDERABAD: Workers of the Seri and Tando Mohammad Khan sugar mills on Tuesday blocked Phulelli Road in Tando Mohammad Khan district against the alleged forcible occupation of the mills by, what they believed, henchmen of an industrialist group.The protest was led by labour leaders of the mills including Adalat Khan Pathan, Iqbal Hajano, Ali Bux Gutko, Dr Ahmed Noonari, a central leader of the Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party (STP) and others. The protest kept the road closed for three to four hours.

The leaders said that the occupants of the mills expelled all workers and noted that it was a `private force` hailing from ShaheedThe protest was led by labour leaders of the mills including Adalat Khan Pathan, Iqbal Hajano, Ali Bux Gutko, Dr Ahmed Noonari, a central leader of the Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party (STP) and others. The protest kept the road closed for three to four hours.

The leaders said that the occupants of the mills expelled all workers and noted that it was a `private force` hailing from ShaheedBenazirabad district. They said that around 1,800 workers had being deprived of their livelihood by the armed men.

They appealed to the chief of the army staff to intervene and order deployment of Rangers at their workplaces as the workers could not enter the mills without assistance of law enforcers.

According to a labour leader, Tariq Khan, while handing over the possessionof the mills, a police team sent there by the Hyderabad DIG under a high court directive prepared the a mushirnama (memo of handing over possession) for each of the two mills.

He said the memos were singed by the two mills` managements, which were then removed.

He said that the possession of two mills earlier occupied was restored in line with the Dec 3 order ofthe high court.

He said the workers booked under an FIR registered against them at the Seri police station earlier would now seel< their prearrest bail. He claimed that DSP Aslam Langah had brought a contingent of police to the mills at around Sunday-Monday midnight but workers foiled their attempt to occupy the mills but about 90 minutes later, police and armed men tookover the mills.

Sindh Sugar Mills Workers Federation general secretary Ashraf Rajput said that he consulted labour leaders of the two sugar mills on lodging an FIR against the illegal police action. A decision would be taken on Wednesday, he added.

Seri and Tando Mohammad Khan sugar mills are owned by the family of former Sindh governor Ashraf W. Tabani.