He said that his captors took him to an undisclosed place and tortured him mercilessly. — Dawn photo
NATIONAL
OGDC workers, sympathisers stage long march
OGDC workers, sympathisers stage long march
SUKKUR: A thin cord of threads dangling from his nose Usman Mahar, vice-president of labour union in Mari Gas Company, recounts the nightmare he suffered at the hands of his captors and points finger to the company’s administration which, he says, wants him to end opposition to contract system.

He said that the union had hung banners in the company’s premises, demanding end to contract system and regularisation of services during petroleum secretary’s visit to the company’s installations.

The administrative officer and contractors had forced him to remove the banners but he had refused, he said.

On March 9, he was returning home on a motorcycle after finishing work when five masked men in a car stopped him near Well No:6 and 8. One snatched his motorcycle and others shoved him into the car, blind folded him and drove away, Mr Usman alleged.

He said that his captors took him to an undisclosed place and tortured him mercilessly. They cut his hair criss-cross and pierced a “nath” through the nose to accentuate humiliation, he said.

His tormentors kept asking him during torture to stop his struggle for regularisation of contract workers and threatened that he might be killed if he did not withdraw the demand, he said.

He said that on March 11 his kidnappers were changing hideout when they ran into Dubbar police near Rohri and after exchange of fire they fled leaving him behind.

The same day he lodged an FIR against administration officer of the company Colonel (retd) Shoukat, company adviser Abid Pitafi and contractors Dadan Mahar and Mehboob Mahar, he said, adding that police had not so far arrested any accused. The accused were issuing him threats of dire consequences, he alleged.

An official at Daharki police station said that police would soon take action against the accused.

Contractor Dadan Mahar denied charges levelled against him and others by the labour leader and said that he was ready to face any inquiry and would volunteer himself for punishment if anything was proved against him.

He said that Usman was among the 117 workers who were working for his company, Fahad and Co, which supplied manpower to the gas company.

He said that his company’s contract with the gas company would expire in June 2010 and claimed that Usman had put up a farce to defame and blackmail him and others after seeing his job in danger.

This scribe tried to contact administration officer Colonel (retd) Shoukat but a telephone operator who gave his name as Qasim said the officer was not at home.

Meanwhile, former district nazim of Ghotki Ali Gohar Mahar summoned Usman Mahar, other office-bearers of the union, contractors Dadan Mahar and Mehboob Mahar, a representative of gas company Mian Manzoor to his residence in Khangarh on Monday to settle the issue.

After hearing both parties he gave 10 days to Usman to prove his allegations about torture and involvement of company’s officers and contractors and asked those accused by Usman to prove their innocence.

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