If the Muttahida Qaumi Movement loves Sindh, it should withdraw the 20th amendment to create new provinces which is a conspiracy to divide Sindh, said nationalist Sindhi leader Jalal Mehmood Shah.
“The Urdu-speaking people are our brothers, they should support us,” said the Sindh United Party leader on Saturday when the entire province shut down in protest except for some parts of Karachi and Hyderabad, areas dominated by the Urdu-speaking population. Shah added that a complete transport and business strike took place in parts of Karachi such as Malir, Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Landhi, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Lyari and Sohrab Goth, mostly peri-urban areas.
“The MQM’s bill violates the constitution,” said Shah while speaking at a press conference at Hyder Manzil on Saturday. “Article 239 (4) gives the provincial assembly the authority to alter boundaries.” The nationalist parties are planning to start a movement against the Pakistan Peoples Party-led government, he added.
In upper Sindh
A bus was set on fire near Mohammad Bin Qasim Park in Sukkur, while protesters were busy marching through town during the strike organised by the Save Sindh Committee. The amendment bill was presented by the MQM in the National Assembly to create new provinces.
Most businessmen stayed at home, to avoid getting into trouble with the nationalists, who were rode around town on their motorcycles brandishing sticks. They damaged many cars and shops by pelting them with rocks. There were reports of aerial firing but no one was injured. The petrol and CNG stations also stayed closed as a group of motorcyclists kept patrolling the area and were threatening the owners. The clock tower roundabout was being monitored continuously as activists ensured that street vendors kept off the road.
A complete strike was also observed in Ghotki, Mirpur Mathelo, Jacobabad, Larkana, Thul, Tangwani, Kashmore, Kandhkot, Shikarpur and Garhi Yasin. There was no public transport either. In Daharki, the markets were shut till 1 pm. The Guddu-Sadiqabad road was closed till noon and there was no transport between Punjab and Sindh while the road between Chowk Mari and Sukkur was blocked till noon as well. Life in Khairpur also came to a stop as a group of nationalist party workers kept patrolling the area. Some people even tried to damage the regional director ombudsman’s car.
On the other side
In lower Sindh, including Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Dadu, Thatta, Badin, Matiari and Sanghar, the streets were abuzz with Sindhi nationalists staging protests and sit-ins against what they said was a plan to divide Sindh. According to Sindh Tarraqi Passand Party’s Qadir Magsi, the turnout reflected how the people felt. He said that they rejected the 20th amendment and would never accept the division of their motherland.
Although a heavy contingent of police and Rangers were deployed in the area, many activists forced shopkeepers to pull the shutters down. Shops in MQM-dominated areas were open for business in the afternoon.
There were sit-ins along the three main highways. Protesters burnt tyres and pelted cars at different intersections. According to Awami Tehreek’s Abdul Qadir Ranto, nearly 117 party workers were detained. He said that many PPP workers and policemen had attacked AT’s workers. Party chief Ayaz Latif Palijo led the demonstration in Hyderabad and blamed the MQM for trying to take away provincial autonomy. He said that they respected the wishes of the Seraiki and Hazara people if they wanted to break away from Sindh. Palijo demanded that the MQM bill should be withdrawn and MPA Masroor Jatoi’s resolution in the Sindh Assembly should be taken up. “The MPAs will have to prove their loyalty to Sindh,” he said. “They can do this by voting in favour of the resolution.”
The police detained Jeay Sindh Mahaz’s district vice president Zahid Keerio in Benazirabad while Allah Dad Mari was arrested from Tando Adam near Sanghar. Two nationalists and an Awami National Party worker identified as Jan Muhammad were injured in clashes with shopkeepers.
This is the second strike organised by the Save Sindh Committee also known as the Sindh Bachao Committee. Many nationalist parties including the AT, Sindh United Party, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz and Sindh National Front are a part of it. Last year, they organised a province-wide strike to protest against the administrative division of Karachi and Hyderabad.
With additional reporting by Hafeez Tunio
Published in The Express Tribune, January 29th, 2012.
COMMENTS (3)
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no new province in sindh !!
@Chaman: Yes we all know that making new provinces will lead to better governance! After all if we take the best managed province and divide it, this will help management everywhere. I think that the people who want more provinces really just want to make Karachi a separate province for their narrow parochial interests. The native Sindis will not allow the division of Sind which is the ultimate aim of the MQM.
Pakistan desperately needs new provinces.