HYDERABAD, Jan 18: A group of Sindh University students, belonging to the Sindhi Shagird Tehrik (SST), staged a protest demonstration outside the Hyderabad Press Club for the second consecutive day on Friday against extortionists and hoodlum elements operating in educational institutions, especially the Sindh University.

The leaders of SST, Javed Larik, Kamran Lakho, Ghaffar Malik and Rehman Dahiri, said that the law and order situation was fast deteriorating in educational institutions and hoodlums and extortionists had made the lives of students, whether male or female, miserable.

They said that mobile phones, cash and other valuables of students were being snatched by the extortionists. They accused Sindh University authorities of supporting the gangsters. They demanded of the university to rusticate the extortionists.

Our Khairpur correspondent adds: Activists of the Sindhi Shagird Tehrik staged a demonstration outside the press club here on Friday to protest against the attack, robbery and torture on SST Sindh president and student of Sindh University Arbab Janjhi and workers. The demonstration was led by the SST district secretary, Hussain Mahar.

The protesters said that the new students in universities were subjected to extortion in different ways and were held hostage and forcibly made to pay donations.

They alleged that the administration of educational institutions, particularly that of the Sindh University, was providing support to such activities.

Criticising the vice chancellor and registrar of the university, they said that such incidents happened on Thursday due to their inefficiency.

They demanded that students seeking admissions in universities may be protected from such practices.

STPP: The Sindh Taraqi Passand Party has condemned police raid on the Shahnawaz Shar village in Karachi and alleged villagers were tortured as a result of which a young girl was also killed.

In a joint statement, STP leaders Nand Lal Malhi, Hassan Samoon, Qadir Channa and Sarang Unnar said that Sindh had been converted into a police state.

They alleged that political activists were being harassed, tortured and arrested.

They demanded that the arrested workers be released and action be taken against those officers who had raided the Shahnawaz Shar village.

HUNGER STRIKE: About one dozen activists of the Pakistan Human Rights Foundation, observed token hunger strike outside the press club here on Friday to protest against terrorism, bomb blasts and price hikes.

A foundation official said that the rulers had totally failed in protecting the life, property and honour of the people.

He said no part of Pakistan was safe and added that due to bomb blasts Pakistan had become another Palestine.

He urged the government to find out a political solution to the existing turmoil.