Sindh’s residents come out in support of Faizabad protesters

Sit-ins and demonstrations were staged across the province

HYDERABAD: Immediately after the crackdown began at the Faizabad interchange in Islamabad, protests erupted in many districts of Sindh on Saturday.

Thousands of people gathered in Hyderabad's Haider Chowk area in the afternoon for a sit-in which continued through the night.

Despite the district administration's request to vacate the area, which is a transport and commercial hub, the organisers, including representatives of Sunni Tehreek, Tazeemat-e-Ahle-Sunnat and other religious groups, stayed the course. They announced a strike today (Sunday) and asked the traders and transporters of Hyderabad to support them.

"We will announce further protest strategy if the crackdown in Islamabad doesn't stop by the evening," said Alhaj Gulshan-e-Ilahi. Groups of furious mobs forced the markets in Cantt, Latifabad and City areas to shut down. Tyres were also burnt in some localities to hamper the movement of traffic.



However, the police succeeded in dissuading the protesters from blocking the Hyderabad Bypass, which connects Karachi through the M9 Motorway to the upcountry via the National Highway. Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan Convener Dr Farooq Sattar was scheduled to address a press conference in the Latifabad area of Hyderabad on Saturday afternoon. The event, in which he was supposed to announce his party's December 8 public meeting in Hyderabad, was postponed.

Meanwhile, in Mirpurkhas district, protesters blocked the Jhudd-Mirpurkhas road while separate protests were also held in different parts of the district. At least 15 persons were detained in Jamshoro district where protesters staged sit-in at the Jamshoro and Kotri railway crossings. A journalist was reportedly among half-a-dozen people who sustained bruises after the police baton charged the participants of the protest. Hundreds of people marched from Jahaz Chowk in Sehwan to the shrine of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar.



A rally in support of the Faizabad Interchange protest was carried out from Jamia Mosque in Daur town of Benazirabad district. Another protest was organised at Sheraz Chowk in Nawabshah.

Similar protests also took place in Badin, Thatta, Umerkot, Sanghar, Tando Allahyar, Sujjawal and other districts of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Nawabshah divisions.