HYDERABAD, Jan 1: A group of writers held a protest demonstration outside the press club on Sunday to protest against secretary of the Sindhi Adabi Board, Mr Inam Shaikh. They are: Taj Joyo, secretary general of the Sindhi Adabi Sangat, Prof Amar Sindhu, Gulshan Laghari, Zeb Nizamani, Humera Anwar and Salma Gulzar.

In a joint statement, the protesters accused Mr Shaikh of conspiring against the editor and joint editor of a women magazine ‘Sartyoon’.

They said the two women had been suspended by the secretary and now were being harassed by him.

The writers said Inam Shaikh presented a distorted picture of the situation to the education minister and members of the board.

They alleged that Mr Shaikh was creating hurdles in the inquiry of the matter.

As a result, the inquiry could not be completed within the stipulated time i.e. December 16, the protesters said.

On the other hand, the administrative officer of the Sindhi Adabi Board, Imdad Bughio, in a statement faxed to Dawn on Saturday, accused the suspended editor, Gul Badan Javed Mirza, and joint editor Najma Panhwar of attacking him in his office and hurling abuses at Inam Shaikh.

He alleged that Ms Mirza and Ms Panhwar had ransacked the office and damaged the telephone set and other equipments.

Mr Bughio claimed that he was injured by Gul Badan and Najma Panhwar in the attack.

He said the women journalists had been suspended on publication of objectionable material in the November issue of the magazine.

SU: University of Sindh Vice-chancellor Mazharul Haq Siddiqui has asked the university’s affiliation committee to pay surprise visits to affiliated colleges frequently to improve the quality of education.

Presiding over a meeting of the committee, he said the quality of education in the affiliated colleges should be monitored and steps suggested to improve it.