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Published 05 Jan, 2010 12:00am

Recovery of missing JSQM leaders: Qureshi threatens to block highway

HYDERABAD, Jan 4 Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz chairman Basheer Khan Qureshi warned on Monday that if 'missing' leaders of the party were not released even after Tuesday's protest, the workers would, as a last resort, block roads leading to Punjab.

Speaking at a news conference at the JSQM media centre, Mr Qureshi said that the party activists would take out a procession from Qasimabad and stage a sit-in outside the press club on Tuesday to voice protest against delay in arrest of killers of Mushtaq Khaskheli and illegal arrest and disappearance of the party's senior vice-chairman, Akash Mallah and activist Noor Mohammad Khaskheli.

He said that Mushtaq Khaskheli was killed when unknown assailants opened fire on a party rally in Karachi on July 24 last year. One of the assailants was caught red handed and handed over to police, who kept a tight lid on his identity and never bothered to send the case to a court, he said.

Mr Qureshi held Sindh government responsible for the attack and said Akash Mallah and Noor Mohammad were picked up by a law enforcement agency two and a half months ago and since then they were being held incommunicado.

He said the party held demonstrations throughout Sindh, demanding recovery of missing party activists but the government did not take notice. Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza had told him on phone that efforts would be made to recover the missing leaders but “later he showed helplessness”, he said.

Mr Qureshi warned that if the missing leaders were not released even after Tuesday's protest, JSQM workers would block all roads leading to Punjab.

Meanwhile, a large number of activists of JSQM and Jeay Sindh Students Federation held a demonstration outside the press club to protest against enforced disappearances party leaders and activists.

The leaders appealed to international human rights organisations and Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of the illegal arrest and disappearance of Akash Mallah and Noor Mohammad.

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