UCs are being merged with Jamshoro to appease ‘influential’ politicians, allege protesters.
The representatives of Kohistan Bachayo (Save Kohistan) Committee, literary persons and nationalist leaders held a rally in Jhampir, condemning the anticipated move of the provincial government.
Writer Rasool Bux Dars claimed that as part of the delimitation exercise, the three UCs of Thatta on mountain range were being separated from Thatta. “If what we are hearing from sources gets materialised, the Sindh government will see a strong backlash,” he warned. “These areas have remained part of Thatta for thousands of years. No one will be allowed to separate them.”
Dars alleged that the government wants to please the influential politicians of Jamshoro, an indirect reference to the Pakistan Peoples Party’s MNA Malik Asad Sikandar, who is known to facilitate visits of Arab hunters.
The Kohistan Bachayo Committee’s leader Lakhmir Palari said that the people of his area will not accept slavery of feudal lords by allowing their areas to become part of Jamshoro.
Ghulam Rasool Shoro, former UC Nazim of Jhampir, said that thousands of acres in the town have been given to multinational companies, including those installing windmills in the area. “They want to hand over the wealth of the area to the feudal lord of Jamshoro so that no one can dare challenge his authority.”
The participants also complained that they were being nominated in fake FIRs so that their voice can be stifled.
The provincial government recently divided Thatta in two separate districts - Thatta and Sujawal.
The move has been opposed by the PPP’s political opponents in Thatta, the Sherazi family who belongs to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. The Sherzis won a National Assembly seat and four Sindh Assembly seats from Thatta.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 21st, 2013.
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