One province: Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas remain shut during ‘explosive’ strike

JSMM called the strike in protest against the MQM chief Altaf Hussain’s alleged demands about the division of Sindh.

HYDERABAD:

The strike called by Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM) kept all districts of Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas divisions shut on Saturday amid violence and explosions.

Around three dozen cracker attacks in several districts preceded the strike’s eve with a few more occurring on Saturday, including one near the Hyderabad Press Club.

Hyderabad DIG Naeem Akram Bharoka claimed that 44 suspects belonging to banned nationalist party JSMM have been detained. Most of the arrests were made in Matiari, 20, while seven were made in Hyderabad, five in Jamshoro and three in Dadu.

The DIG also suspended 11 station house officers in four districts for failing to prevent the attacks — six in Hyderabad, three in Dadu and one each in Jamshoro and Matiari. “The officers had been told to beef up security because violence occurs whenever this banned group calls for a strike,” said the DIG.



The police, however, did not disclose the identities of the arrested suspects except for the two, Mukhtiar Laghari and Kashif Bughio, who were arrested from Sehwan in the Jamshoro district. The Jamshoro police also lodged an FIR against JSMM chief Shafi Muhammad Burfat and the outfit’s Sehwan-based leader Nisar Otho.

The JSMM called the strike in protest against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s chief Altaf Hussain’s alleged demands about the division of Sindh. Burfat had asked the British government to take action against the party chief.

Separately, the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, another separatist nationalist party, had asked Altaf to apologise to the people of Sindh for his demands. At a press conference on Saturday, JSQM vice-chairperson Dr Niaz Kalani claimed that he was approached by the MQM Rabita Committee leader Ashfaq Mangi who wanted to visit their office.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2014.