KARACHI, Sept 16: The Sindh Bachayo Committee (SBC) on Sunday announced its second phase of the protest movement launched against the recently promulgated Sindh Peoples’ Local Government Ordinance 2012.

Describing the ordinance as an “anti-Sindh move to divide the province” the convener of the committee, Sindh United Party chief Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah, announced that a massive rally would be held outside the Karachi Press Club on Sept 21 while hunger strike would be observed.

Mr Shah announced this while speaking at a press conference held at the Hyder Manzil opposite the Nishtar Park after presiding over a meeting of the committee attended by Sindhi nationalist parties’ leaders, representatives of the PML-N, the NPP, the JUI-F, PkMAP and others.

He said that by enforcing the ordinance, which he alleged was the outcome of the PPP and MQM collusion, the government had enraged the people of Sindh.

“The people of Sindh have totally rejected the ordinance by observing a complete shutter-down and wheel-jam strike throughout the province.”

The Sept 13 strike was a referendum against the ordinance and the SBC and its allies had decided to resist the ordinance until it was withdrawn by the government, he said.

The dual system of local government was not acceptable to the people and they wanted a uniform local government system in the entire province, he added.

Giving details of the second phase of the resistance movement, Mr Shah said after the Sept 21 rally and hunger strike, they would block all highways in Sindh on Sept 26 and a big public meeting in Thatta would be held on Sept 30.

He said that they would organise rallies, hunger strikes in different districts during the second phase of their protest, while public meetings would be held on Sundays in each district headquarters.

Mr Shah said that it was also demanded in the Sunday’s meeting that a judicial inquiry was carried out into the fire incident in the Baldia Town factory and those found responsible for it were taken to task.

Dr Qadir Magsi, Salim Zia, Rahila Tiwana, Abrar Qazi, Ali Hasan Chandio, Shah Mohammad Shah, barrister Zamir Ghumro, Badshah Gul, Akash Mullah, Qadir Ranto, Qamar Bhatti, Riaz Chandio, Irfanullah Khan Marwat, Dr Safdar Sarki and others attended the meeting .