March 17, 2006	Friday	Safar 16, 1427

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BADIN, March 16: Leaders of the Sindh Qaumi Ittehad (SQI) have accused the government for resorting to political victimisation of opponents and failing to maintain law and order.

Addressing a public meeting at the Shahnawaz chowk here on Thursday, SQI chairman Mumtaz Ali Bhutto said the government was suppressing the voice of Sindhis through the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and other anti-Sindh elements.

He said that nationalists had expressed apprehension that opening of Khokhropar route would harm Sindh and after three days of arrival of the first train from India, a crackdown on Sindhi population in Karachi was launched and they were being forcibly evicted from their homes and villages, for making space to settle the aliens.

He recalled what he called massacres of Sindhis during 1970 and 1988 where the bodies of Sindhis were sent as a “Gift”.

He warned that the day was not far away when Sindhis in Badin, Mirpurkhas, Dadu and other towns would be reduced to minority, if Sindhis still relied on catchy slogans of selfish political leaders and waderas.

He called upon the people of Sindh to unite under the banner of SQI to save their soil.

He said the Qaumi Ittehad has launched its struggle against oppressors and their agents who had usurped the rights of Sindhis in the name of federation and deceived the people.

He warned that if the Sindhis kept sleeping, they would better die as the land was being dragged under their feet through conspiracies.

Dr Qadir Magsi, chairman of Sindh Taraqi Passand Party, said the country would remain insecure if Sindh was denied autonomy.

He said that presently Sindh’s situation was grim as the sitting Chief Minister was powerless and he could not even transfer a SHO of the police in Karachi.

He said that villages of Sindhi population in Karachi were mole in the eyes of a particular community and without the will of MQM no one could settle in the Karachi villages.

He said Sindhis were deprived of all their rights including employment.

He said the nationalist workers were being implicated in false cases and tortured. He warned the government to pay a heavy price in case of loss of life of any detainee.

The JSQM chief and vice chairman of SQI, Basheer Khan Qureshi said that through a well thought planning, Sindh’s resources were being snatched and encroachment over the Indus water was made and attempts aimed at to changing the demography of Sindh by establishing new settlements in Sindh were being accelerated.

He said that Sindh had become a colony of establishment and when a youth raises voice against injustice and NFC award, he was branded as traitor and arrested by agencies and tortured.

He demanded immediate release of all the nationalists and political workers and said if they were involved in any criminal case, they should be produced before a court of law.

He said people of Sindh would bring revolution as they were being denied rights and their lives made miserable.

The speakers devolved a good portion of their speeches in giving the clarion call to the people to unite on one platform against the conspiracies and exploitative forces and settlement of Biharis.

They said that “Darbaris” of Sindh government and the chief minister were a burden on Sindh.

Thousands of people and women braved the sizzling heat during the meeting at an open place. Earlier, nationalist leaders were accorded a warm welcome by their party workers.

The leaders were brought in a big rally started from Allah Wala chowk entrance of the city. They were carrying banners and raising slogans “Sindhu Desh Sindhu Desh” and Punjab Too San Jang Aahey “Sindh Demands Azadi”.

Among others, Syed Zain Shah, Abdul Khaliq Junejo and Hussain Bux Thebo also spoke on the occasion.