Disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) leader Abid Hussain Sheikh on Thursday appealed to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan for equality, and urged him to formulate policies forbidding discrimination amongst the party’s workers in Sindh. In his talk to the media, he asserted that a large number of people from Dadu, Mehar, KN Shah and Johi areas had supported PTI’s candidates in the recent general elections, but their interests were being neglected. Sheikh, who boosted social media campaign in favour of PTI during election drive in Sindh, expressed dissatisfaction over ‘petulant’ behaviour of Sindh leadership of PTI. Moreover, the loyal supporter of the party had sold his property worth Rs1 million to finance the party’s cause of bringing change. He further expressed profound concerns over what he termed as ‘unequal share of power amongst the party’s local leadership of interior Sindh’ in the federal cabinet. He stated that members of the party in Karachi were given priority over activists of interior Sindh while forming the federal cabinet. He said that the PTI has emerged as the second largest political party in Sindh for the first time, but activists were not invited in the oath-taking ceremony of the Prime Minister. Sheikh revealed that youths have been regretting their decision of supporting the party as their interests were not being addressed. He expressed fear over the party’s position in the local bodies’ elections which he said could be weakened if concerns of the party’s activists were not resolved on the priority basis, and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) would triumph with majority of the votes. Later, he outlined critical issues being faced by them including lack of resources, bogus FIRs (first information reports) and political victimisation at the hands of their rival leaders in interior Sindh. He appealed to the Prime Minister to directly address their concerns on the priority basis. Police foil bid to steal oil from PARCO, detain three thieves The Sehwan police on Thursday busted a gang of thieves when their members tried to steal oil from PARCO’s (Pak-Arab Refinery Company) main refinery station situated at Bubak. Reportedly, three suspects including Punhoo Chandio, Asharaf Chandio and Mohram Chandio were arrested during a raid by a team of police officers led by Sehwan station house officer (SHO) Zulfiqar Odhano. The officers also seized their tools being used to extract oil from the refinery. The SHO informed the media that five thieves broke into the premises of the main pumping station of the PARCO while police officers surrounded the area after receiving a tip-off of the incident. He said three of the suspects were detained while two of them including Ghulam Rasool Khoso and Papoo Buriro managed to escape from the scene. Meanwhile, police lodged an FIR against them and started further investigation into the incident. Published in Daily Times, August 31st 2018.