In protest: Sindh retaliates to Dr Khalid Soomro’s murder

Shutter-down strike observed in various parts of the province on the call of JUI-F leadership

SUKKUR/ HYDERABAD/ KARACHI: A shutter-down strike was observed throughout Upper Sindh to protest the murder of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam - Fazlur Rehman (JUI-F) leader Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro on Sunday. The call for a strike was supported by nationalist parties who were also protesting the disappearances and killings of their workers.

Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro, who was the secretary general for the Sindh chapter of the JUI-F, was leaving a masjid in Sukkur after offering Fajr prayers when he was shot dead on Saturday.

JUI-F workers blocked the Indus and national highways at different sites, suspending traffic between Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan. In Sukkur, hundreds of JUI-F workers took to the streets and shouted slogans against the government. They marched through the main thoroughfares of the city and reached the clock tower roundabout, where they staged a sit-in for an hour. Commercial activities had commenced as per routine in the morning but the shopkeepers were forced to pull their shutters down by the JUI-F workers, who roamed around the city in small groups to ensure a complete shutter-down strike was observed. No major skirmishes were reported from any part of the city. Besides, a complete shutter-down strike was observed in Shikarpur, Khairpur, Ghotki, Kashmore-Kandhkot, Jacobabad and Larkana, while a partial strike was observed in Naushahro Feroze, Qamber-Shahdadkot and Dadu.

Other districts of Sindh

In Hyderabad, commercial activities were brought to a halt following the strike call given by the JUI-F and the Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM).

No untoward incident, except aerial firing in Tando Allahyar's market area, was reported as the workers restricted their reaction to protest demonstrations. The supporters of JUI-F blocked the National Highway at separate locations in Hyderabad and Nawabshah districts. They also held demonstrations at important public squares and press clubs in various districts.

Karachi

Tension prevailed in several parts of the city following the strike call by the JUI-F. The strike was announced by the party's chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. Routine commercial activities in various parts of Karachi, including Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Yousuf Goth, Hub River Road and Mawach Goth remained closed on Sunday, where the party's workers converged to protest the killing of their leader. They blocked the roads for vehicles and shouted slogans against the incident, demanding the culprits be arrested immediately. A large contingent of law enforcers were also deployed at the protest sites. No untoward incident, however, was reported.

Investigations

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has ordered to constitute a five-member joint investigation team to investigate the killing of Dr Soomro. The team will be led by the Sukkur DIG and the SSPs of Sukkur, Khairpur, Shikarpur and Sukkur Special Branch as it members. Sukkur SSP Tanveer Hussain Tunio told The Express Tribune that this was a high-profile murder and a multi-pronged investigation will be conducted to take all aspects into consideration.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1^st, 2014.