Varsities to mark ‘black day’ over PhD’s murder
PHOTO: FILE
The killing of an assistant professor of Sukkur IBA University in Kashmore-Kandhkot district on April 6 has sparked protests and condemnation in the whole province but no immediate reaction can be seen from the policy makers with regard to rampant kidnappings and tribal feuds in upper Sindh.
The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) on Friday announced that the teachers in universities across Sindh will observe a black day on Monday, April 10, to condemn the killing of Sukkur IBA University’s Prof Assistant Prof Ajmal Sawand, 38, and to express solidarity.
The opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly, Haleem Adil Sheikh, as well as nationalist leaders condemned the killing and blamed the Pakistan Peoples Party’s government in Sindh for continuing to give a free hand to criminal feudal lords, tribal chiefs and dacoits.
He bemoaned that a PhD in artificial intelligence who left his teaching career in Paris, France, to teach the youth in his own province was shot dead over no fault of his own.
Dr Fahad Nazir Khoso, the president of FAPUASA Sindh chapter, expressed shock at the savage killing of Dr Sawand. He said the slain teacher was not involved in any tribal rift but still his life was taken to settle tribal scores. He demanded immediate action against the culprits while announcing a province wide protest for April 10.
Meanwhile, Sindh Taraqi Pasand party has announced protests across the province for April 9. The party’s chairman Dr Qadir Magsi said the entire province was mourning Dr Sawand’s killing. “Tribal warfare needs to be stopped but the government doesn’t seem to bothered,” he observed. These clashes can end if the government arrests the tribal chiefs who are fuelling such disputes, he added.
The president of Jeay Sindh Mahaz, Riaz Ali Chandio, accused the provincial government for deliberately letting the tribal clashes and dacoits take the rural society hostage so that it can manipulate frightened and controlled people. The Sindh United Party’s President Syed Zain Shah said the government has made the feudal and tribal chiefs the makers and enforcers of law in their respective areas.
Investigation
The Kashmore-Kandhkot police raided the village Sardar Khan Sundrani in Kankhkot on Thursday to arrest the suspects but the main accused had already escaped with their families. The police officials disclosed that six suspects had been picked up in connection with the incidents but none of them were among the persons nominated in the FIR.
The A-Section police in Kandhkot registered the FIR of the killing, nominating 10 persons with names besides two unidentified men. Although the district’s SSP Irfan Samo had told The Express Tribune that the cause of the murder was “honour killing”, the complainant in the FIR stated that the accused were seeking extortion.
“Around 15 days ago when my brother and I went to our agriculture field in Kankhkot, Aijan Ali Sundrani and his armed men approached us and demanded Rs2 million extortion from my brother,” stated victim’s brother Ashraf Sawand in the FIR.
According to him, Sundrani had warned his brother that if his latest warning was ignored, then Sawand would be kidnapped for ransom.
The complainant stated that on April 6 when they were leaving in their vehicle for Sukkur, Sundranis intercepted them on the road and shot his brother dead.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 8th, 2023.