HYDERABAD: Two separate cases of sedition were registered against nearly 60 Sindhi nationalists for allegedly raising anti-state slogans at different programmes held in Sann town of Jamshoro district on the eve of the 118th birth anniversary of veteran nationalist leader G.M. Syed.

The events were held on Sunday night and Monday by a number of nationalist groups and factions of Jeay Sindh Tehreek (JST) and Jeay Sindh Mahaz (JSM) near the grave of the late leader.

Sindh United Party (SUP) had organised its programme at the residence of its convener Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah, the grandson of G.M. Syed.

Over 50 briefly detained after G.M. Syed’s birth anniversary events in Sann

A crackdown was launched by the Jamshoro police, escorted by Rangers personnel, while the participants were returning home after attending the programmes.

A total of 34 activists were booked at the Chhachhar police station under sections 123/A, 124/A, 153 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and section 6/7 of the Antiterrorism Act, 1997.

Eighteen of them were named in the FIR and they included Sindh Sujag Forum (SSF) finance secretary Suhni Joyo. She is the daughter-in-law of eminent writer Taj Joyo. She and her husband, Sarang Joyo, the SSF joint secretary, were also nominated in the other FIR registered against 25 activists at the Jamshoro police station.

The couple was among the five activists nominated in the FIR registered vide crime No. 16/22.

Fifty-four activists were rounded up by the Jamshoro police and 53 of them were released upon submission of personal bond. The one handed over to the Chhachhar police was identified as Mehfooz Notkani.

Meanwhile, SSF held an emergency meeting of its central body to discuss the situation.

Chaired by Mohib Azad Leghari, the meeting condemned registration of sedition cases against Sarang Joyo, his wife Suhni Joyo and many other people for attending the birth anniversary programmes. It said that SSF believed in peaceful struggle in line with G.M. Syed’s ideology.

The meeting clarified that SSF had nothing to do with the [proscribed] Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM) as was being claimed by the police.

It said implicating SSF leaders and workers in [sedition] cases could not deter them from their struggle.

The meeting alleged that police and Rangers humiliated participants in the programme in the name of Covid-19 vaccination and identity cards.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2022