NAWABSHAH: The sit-in staged by family members, relatives and supporters of the three people killed last week in a clash between two groups of the Junejo community in a village near Sanghar over trespassing of cattle in a field continued for the third consecutive day on Tuesday.
The protesters refused to bury their dead until the registration of an FIR against Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Salahuddin Junejo, aka Allauddin, and others named by them.
On Jan 26, three people were gunned down and 19 others, including women, were wounded when two groups exchanged gunfire over trespassing of cattle into a field in Jani Junejo village near Sanghar.
The protesters also levelled allegations on the district administration, saying that they were well aware of the tense situation but never made any effort to avert it.
Several efforts were made by the district administration including DIG Shaheed Benazirabad SSP and DC Sanghar to convince the protesters but they refused to end the protest demanding registration of an FIR against the nominated suspects.
Protesters demand FIR against PPP lawmaker, others; opposition parties criticise Sindh govt for ‘inaction’
Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Shazia Marri visited the protest camp early on Tuesday morning to hold talks and tried to convince the protesters, but the efforts remained futile.
Sarwari Jamaat chief and PPP leader Makhdoom Jameel Uz Zaman also visited the camp and assured the protesters of his full support. The protesters are said to be followers of the spiritual order.
He said that the protest would continue until the registration of the FIR.
He further said that the FIR had to be registered and if the police wouldn’t register, then the court would order it.
He said that he would approach PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari regarding the issue and expressed the hope that the party chairman would take action. He said that burial could not be stopped and he was hopeful that the bodies would be buried soon.
Hur Jamaat chief Pir Sahab Pagara also condemned the incident in which innocent people lost their lives.
In a statement issued, he said that his party was standing along the victim families and directed his disciples to ensure complete support and make arrangements for food and water for the protesters.
PTI Sindh president Haleem Adil Sheikh, accompanied by senior party members, visited Sanghar on Tuesday to express solidarity with the protesters.
Haleem Adil Sheikh listened to the victims’ accounts and assured them of all possible legal assistance.
Talking to media, Haleem Adil Sheikh condemned the incident, calling it a grave injustice. He criticised the police for failing to register an FIR despite three days of protests and accused them of shielding influential figures involved in the case.
“The Chotiariyon firing incident was deeply saddening where three bodies were lying on the road for days and families, including women and children, continuing their protest outside the press club of Sanghar. The police have refused to register an FIR,” he said.
He criticised the PPP government, saying that “if a wealthy person’s chicken is stolen, the FIR is filed within minutes. But when a poor family is massacred, the police turn a blind eye to their problem. Because of this dual justice system, our leader Imran Khan is fighting for a true freedom in Pakistan”.
Mr Sheikh vowed to escalate the protests from Karachi to Islamabad and raise the issue in assemblies.
He demanded immediate justice for the victims and their families.
President Sindh United Party Syed Zain Shah also condemned the incident. In a press statement issued on Tuesday, he demanded immediate arrest of all culprits.
He claimed that the Sindh government and police were silent on the bloodbath in Sanghar.
He criticised the Sindh government and said that the law and order situation was worst in the province where it was being run by “feudal lords and looters”.
Earlier on Sunday, former PPP lawmaker Naveed Dero had levelled allegations against his own party’s sitting MNA Salahuddin Junejo and his uncle Mohammed Khan Junejo for the incident.
Shutter down strike
Meanwhile a complete shutter down strike was observed in Sanghar city on call of chamber of commerce against the killings in the bloody clash. All markets and bazaars remained shut.
The incident has been widely condemned, and various organisations, including the District Bar Associations of Karachi, Sanghar, Umerkot and Mirpurkhas have expressed solidarity with the heirs of the victims.
Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2025
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