THATTA, Nov 1: While demonstrations and rallies were held in many towns of Sindh against police refusal to register a second FIR of the alleged murder of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz president Bashir Khan Qureshi on the call of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz-Bashir (JSQM-B) on Thursday, a complete strike was observed across Thatta district in protest against the arrest of the party’s district chief, Sarwer Khushik.

The order to register a second FIR sought to be lodged by the party was issued by the Nawabshah sessions court a few days back.

All business activities in the district remained suspended and public and private vehicles off the roads. Filling stations in Sujawal, Jati, Mirpur Bathoro, Choohar Jamali, Gharo, Gujo, Makli, Jhimpir and other towns did not open in the morning.

JSQM activists and supporters held protest demonstrations, took out rallies and placed burning tyres and junk on main thoroughfares to register their protest.

According to the police, two JSQM activists, Qadir Zour and Ashiq Jatoi, were arrested for enforcing a strike in Mirpur Bathoro.

Sarwer Khushik was booked and arrested for allegedly keeping illicit arms. He told the media on Thursday that his arrest was made at the behest of some influential political figures.

NAWABSHAH: Activists and supporters of JSQM-B took out a rally from the G. M. Syed Chowk and converged on the local press club to stage a demonstration.

Their leaders, Ali Raza Khaskheli, Gul Dahiri, Hidayat Tunio, Hashim Leghari, Mukesh Kumar and others, said that non-registration of the aggrieved party’s FIR despite a court order proved that “the law-enforcement agencies who are behind Mr Qureshi’s assassination do not want to expose the killers”.

However, they said, the party’s struggle against such conspiracies against it would continue. They said that the party would take the matter Mr Qureshi’s death to the international court of justice.

HYDERABAD: JSQM activists in Hyderabad took out a procession from the GPO roundabout to the local press club on Thursday. Carrying banners, placards and party flags, they raised slogans against the Nawabshah police and government. Led by Masroor Thebo and Ghulam Mustafa Panhwar, the protesters condemned the Nawabshah police for defying the court order to register the FIR against those nominated as accused in the alleged killing of Mr Qureshi.

Speaking to them, the leaders said that Mr Qureshi was murdered under a conspiracy hatched by the law-enforcement agencies.

They vowed to continue the protest until the FIR drafted by Mr Queshi’s family members and the party leadership was registered. They also demanded immediate arrest of all those involved in the alleged killing.

Meanwhile, members of JSQM-B student wing, Jeay Sindh Student Federation (JSSF), also held a protest demonstration and urged the United Nations and other international organisations to take notice of the alleged killing of Mr Qureshi and Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM) leader Muzaffar Bhutto, who was also killed recently.

The protest was led by Atta Vistro, Sohail Bhutto and Kashif Bhutto. They accused the law-enforcement agencies of systematically eliminating nationalist leaders in Sindh.

SUKKUR: In Jacobabad, JSQM-B activists took out a rally and observed a token hunger strike on Thursday.

The rally started from Shaheed Allah Bux Park and ended outside the local press club where protesters observed a two-hour hunger strike.

Speaking to the rally participants, Ghulam Sarwar Mastoi, Abdul Mannan Mahar, Saleem Soomro, Sulaiman Rind, Manthar Sarki, Salman Abbasi and others said that Mr Qureshi died under mysterious circumstances about seven months back and the party produced evidences suggesting that he was murdered.

However, the government had failed to take any action in this regard and the police even did not register a case for many months.

They also slammed registration of a secret FIR by the police on their own and demanded registration of the FIR as desired by the bereaved family and the JSQM leadership.

They demanded arrest of those nominated in the FIR.

LARKANA: A batch of 40 JSQM-B activists on Thursday began a 100-hour hunger strike outside the local press club in protest against the government’s reluctance to let the party lodge an FIR of Mr Qureshi’s alleged murder.

G.M. Abro, central joint secretary of the party, Athar Soomro, Aamir Abbasi, Muzaffar Sandano, Suhail Memon and Jeay Sindh Students Federation (JSSF) president Ashraf Kalhoro are members of the batch.

They told the media that it was strange that instead of registering the case as per the court order, the government was trying to save the culprits. They pledged to continue their legal and political battle for justice.