Province-wide strike called over nationalist workers' deaths

The Jeay Sindh Rehbar Committee has called for a shutter down strike across Sindh on May 25 in protest against the May 20 clash between nationalist workers and police in Moro, Naushero Feroze district.

The committee's leaders — Riaz Ali Chandio, Niaz Kalani, Nawaz Khan Zaunr, and Fateh Channa — visited Laghari-Bijarani village in Moro on Saturday to offer condolences to the families of Zahid Laghari and Irfan Laghari. Zahid sustained gunshot wounds and died during the May 20 clash, while Irfan succumbed to his injuries at Liaquat University Hospital (LUH) in Hyderabad on May 23. Speaking to the media, Chandio alleged that the police have refused to hand over Irfan's body to his family.

On May 23, Irfan's family and hundreds of nationalist workers went to LUH to receive the body, but police dispersed the crowd, detained many individuals, and took the body into their custody. Chandio demanded that an FIR be registered on the complaint of Zahid's and Irfan's parents, and that the ministers implicated in the incident be nominated in the case.

The families reportedly want to include Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, and certain police officials in the FIR. The committee's leaders also demanded the release of all individuals arrested during and after the May 20 clash.

Chandio further called for an end to police raids on the homes of nationalist workers. "Enforced disappearances, torture, and FIRs have been ongoing for a long time, but snatching the dead body is a barbaric act committed by the provincial government," he said.

Chandio, who also heads Jeay Sindh Mahaz, recalled that peaceful protests against the construction of six new canals on the Indus River and corporate farming had taken place for 10 months throughout the province without any violence. He blamed the authorities for forcing protesters into violence.