Eve of JSMM’s strike: Sindh reverberates with 23 cracker attacks

Nationalist party asks people to keep businesses shut today.

HYDERABAD/ KARACHI:

The Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), a Sindh’s nationalist party, gave a strike call across Sindh for Saturday (today) against the recent statement of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Chief Altaf Hussain. Soon after, at least 23 crackers attacks were reported in different parts of the province.

The JSMM has also sent a letter to British High Commissioner to Pakistan to take notice of the statement, The Express Tribune learnt on Friday. Shopkeepers and residents have been requested to shut their businesses activities today.



JSMM Chairperson Shafi Muhammad Burfat has sent a letter to the British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Philip Barton, against Hussain’s recent statement. “The JSMM considers Britain a civilised country and have been appealing it in its protest demonstrations to resolve the problems of the Sindhi nation. For these reasons, the party has called for a strike on January 25 throughout Sindh to protest in front of the British government and we hope that being a civilised nation, the British government will honour our demand and take serious action against Altaf Husaain,” reads Burfat’s letter.

When contacted, MQM’s Wasay Jalil said that he could not comment on the issue.

Synchronised attacks?

Shortly after the announcement, Hyderabad, Dadu, Larkana and Jamshoro districts, and later Karachi, reverberated with cracker attacks thrown by unidentified miscreants. As many as 23 cracker attacks were carried out till the filing of this report — seven in Hyderabad, eight in Jamshoro, three in Dadu, two in Matiari district and three in Karachi. No injuries, however, were reported in any of the attacks. In a short span of 20 minutes, six crackers were thrown in Hyderabad’s Koh-i-Noor chowk, Liberty Chowk, Nai Pul, Latifabad Unit 7 intersection, Hyder chowk and Jail Road. “The crackers were thrown by attackers on motorcycles,” said City SP Umer Tufail.

The attacks in Matiari district took place near the Makhdoom House in Hala town and a branch of the National Bank of Pakistan in Bhit Shah. Separately, three crackers were thrown at Dadu’s Station Road, Jail Road and at a railway crossing. In Jamshoro, most of the attacks were made in Kotri and Sehwan town.

The Hyderabad and Jamshoro police claimed to have arrested four suspects of JSMM. According to Hyderabad SSP Syed Irfan Bahadur, a party activist Kamran Bughio was arrested along with a cracker and a pamphlet about Saturday’s strike. Jamshoro SSP Syed Wasee Hyder also claimed that three suspects had been arrested - two from Jamshoro’s Kotri town and the third one, Mukhtiar laghari, from Sehwan. The police say they found an illegal pistol in Laghari’s possession.

According to him, the attacks bear the hallmark of the banned nationalist outfit, JSMM, whose previous strikes have also witnessed similar attacks.

In Karachi, two successive explosions were heard for a couple of miles around, creating panic in the areas surrounding Qayyumabad Chowrangi. The blasts, however, were of potash bombs that are mainly used on ceremonial occasions, including weddings and Shab-e-Baraat.

Korangi Industrial Area SHO Tariq Rahim told The Express Tribune that unidentified men lobbed the bombs from the KPT flyover. The bombs exploded right in front of Imtiaz Supermarket, which was packed with shoppers after the religious parties had called off their Friday strike. Though no casualties were reported, a large number of shoppers vacated the premises in fear. A similar low-intensity explosion was reported in Nagan Chowrangi.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2014.