SSGC team kidnapped, tortured in Jacobabad

KARACHI: A team of Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) engaged in disconnecting illegal gas connections in Jacobabad district has been tortured and kidnapped by armed persons loyal to MNA Aijaz Jakhrani, The News has learnt.
Sources of local area and SSGC told The News that Jacobabad police, instead of helping the abducted team members, tortured and tried to arrest them. They said the team was later rescued by the Rangers deployed in the area.
Due to the influence of MNA Jakhrani, Jacobabad police are not ready to take any action against criminals. They even refused to register complaint (FIR) of SSGC authorities regarding the kidnapping and brutal torture on the team.
According to the official handout of the SSGC: “A team of Company comprising of (sic) officers and workers of Customer Relations, Distribution Maintenance and Surveillance and Monitoring departments of Larkana and Jacobabad were (sic) engaged in gas theft survey job in various adjoining villages of Jacobabad District.
In this regard SSGC employees were gathering near Muzzamil Fuel Station at the outskirts of village Osto Bhaley Dino, Jacobabad district, (when) about 40 to 50 armed culprits well equipped with Kalashnikovs and guns attacked SSGC staff. Some of SSGC employees managed to escape but a senior engineer Abdul Hameed Memon of Distribution Department Larkana could not succeed to escape and was badly beaten by those culprits. Later on they took him as hostage.”
Sources of the SSGC and local area told The News that when the team tried to inspect the gas connections of a hotel and a petrol pump, property of MNA Jakhrani, a group of about 40 armed persons, led by Farooq Jakhrani, brother of MNA Jakhrani, attacked the team and after torturing them brutally, kidnapped at least 10 members including officers Abdul Hameed Memon, Saeed Ahmed and others.
The attackers then contacted the district police and a police party reached the spot and instead of helping the effected employees, they also tortured them. The employees were released from the illegal confinement of MNA’s associates and the police party when the Rangers intercepted and rescued them.
The sources added that two officers of the Gas Company including Senior Engineer Abdul-Hameed Memon are in critical condition and under treatment at private hospital of Larkana.SSGC authorities first tried to lodge complaint (FIR) of the matter but due to pressure of MNA Jakhrani, they decided to dispose of the matter.
SSGC Spokesman Innayatullah Ismail told The News that SSGC has issued the official statement regarding the issue.Ismail refused to comment further and said the authorities have decided to “close the matter”.
Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Jacobabad Malik Zafar Iqbal said no incident of kidnapping and torturing of SSGC team occurred and the statement made by the gas authorities is false.He said the police had offered security to the team but they refused.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Larkana Sain Rakhio Mirani said he is unaware of the incident. He added no person from SSGC contacted him regarding the incident and alleged role of police.
Mirani suggested the effected employees of Gas Company to contact him and assured that action would be taken against the responsible people irrespective of their political position. This reporter contacted MNA Aijaz Jakhrani for his version but Jakhrani after listening to the quarries disconnected his cell phone and then turned it off.