HYDERABAD, March 19: Activists of the Pakistan People’s Party-SB observed a token hunger strike outside the press club here on Sunday against demolition of old villages of Sindhis and for grant of lease to residents of kutchi abadis. Speaking on the occasion, the party’s Sindh general secretary Younus Bhan, Peeral Majidano and others regretted that old settlement in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Kotri were being demolished without payment of compensation to the affected people.
They demanded that compensation should be paid to affected families and residents of kutchi abadis should be given proprietary rights.
They also condemned arrest of party workers by the Qasimabad police.
They said they would continue their protest till acceptance of their demands.
Meanwhile, residents of the Ismail Chand village and its adjoining localities blocked the National Highway in front of the Isra University against demolition of their constructions by the highways department on Saturday.
Police fired teargas shells on the protesters who smashed panes of the security office of the university.
The protesters said officials of the highways department were describing their hotels and shops as encroachments in order to dismantle them.
They said police had resorted to baton-charge to disperse them.
The Hatri police registered an FIR on a complaint of an official of the highway department.
SUKKUR: Protests were held in Sukkur, Shikarpur, Kandhkot and Daharki against demolition of Sindhis’ villages in Karachi.
In Sukkur, a procession was taken out under the aegis of the Shehri Ittehad.
Led by Maulana Abdul Haq Mahar, the protesters after marching through main thoroughfares of the city reached the press club where they held a demonstration.
They condemned bulldozing of villages in Karachi and termed it a conspiracy to covert Sindhis into a minority in the province.
They demanded rehabilitation of affected people and payment of compensation to them.
In Daharki, activists of the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, led by Jamal Bhutto and Mian Abdul Rasheed, took out a procession.
They later observed a hunger strike outside the Daharki Press Club for five hours.
They alleged that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement which was in the government had resorted to political victimization of Sindhis and had made them homeless. They warned that such actions would not be tolerated.
DADU: Activists of the PPP-SB held a demonstration outside the press club here on Sunday against demolition of villages of Sindhis in Karachi and other parts of the province.
Party leaders they later observed a token hunger strike. They demanded compensation to affected people.
NAUSHAHRO FEROZE: Activists of the Awami Tehrik took out a procession from Sindh Colony to the Moro Press Club on Sunday to protest against demolition of villages in Karachi.
The protesters were led by Ghulam Farid and Khan Soomro.
They regretted that the Sindh government was demolishing the villages in Karachi without any reason. They demanded to stop demolition of the villages immediately and pay compensation to affected people.
They also raised slogans against the proposed construction of the Kalabagh dam.
JACOBABAD: Activists of the PPP-SB took out a procession here on Sunday.
Led by Nadeem Qureshi, they marched through main roads of the town and later reached the press club where they held a demonstration.