27th amendment sparks protests in Sindh

The nationalist workers, on the call of the Sindh Action Committee, took to streets on Tuesday in all districts of Sindh to reiterate their disapproval for the 27th Constitutional Amendment, flouting ban on public gathering under section 144. The legal fraternity joined the nationalist leaders and workers in the protests.

The Sindh United Party's leader Roshan Ali Buriro while addressing a demonstration outside Hyderabad Press Club claimed that the amendment is meant to create more provinces which will also be deprived of control over the natural resources. He argued that the legislation will also clip the wings of judiciary by not allowing the bench to function independently.

"The freedom of expression and independence of judiciary were snatched through the 26th amendment and now the rulers want to go a step further," he alleged. The Hyderabad police tried to disperse the protesters and detained over a dozen of them as well.

The protesters later gathered again in the premises of Sindh High Court Bar Association where they warned of blocking Hyderabad bypass road if the apprehended workers and supporters are not released. The SHCBA's general secretary advocate Israr Hussain Chang communicated the SAC's decision about the bypass sit-in to SSP Adeel Hussain Chandio after which the detainees were released.

Meanwhile, similar demonstrations took place in all the districts and towns in the province. The protesters converged outside Larkana press club, chanting slogans against the incumbent government in Islamabad and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for spearheading the amendment.

Azizullah Bhutto of Jeay Sindh Mahaz asserted that the legislation will constrain provincial autonomy and weaken the judiciary. He blamed the PPP's leadership for trading off resources of Sindh to secure power. A rally outside Nawabshah press club chanted slogans, saying the people will never accept a civilian martial law.

The protesters in Mirpurkhas district cautioned that the doors of justice will be permanently closed for the public if the government succeeded in amending the constitution. The people participating in a rally in Sukkur warned that restoration of the magistracy will make the feudal system more powerful.

However, the PPP's Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro in a statement on Tuesday affirmed that his party can never compromise on the provincial autonomy, the National Finance Commission (NFC) award and the 18th amendment. He maintained that setting up of the constitutional courts with equal representation of all the provinces in the bench has become a need of the time.

'Constitutional adventurism'

A day after the upper house of Parliament cleared the 27th constitutional amendment, 18 members of the Sindh Bar Council (SBC) unanimously rejected it as "unconstitutional and a continuation of constitutional adventurism."

In a joint statement, the newly elected members said that while the Senate has already approved the amendment and it is now before the National Assembly, the current SBC leadership has remained silent on the issue, which they found concerning.

Karachi Bar

The Karachi Bar Association has strongly condemned the blast at the Islamabad District Court.

Announcing a Black Day of mourning, the association said that neither terrorism nor constitutional manipulation could weaken the judiciary's resolve to uphold justice. KBA has convened a lawyers' convention on November 12, where the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment would be unanimously rejected.