HYDERABAD, Jan 17: Leaders of the Jeay Sindh Mahaz (Hyder Bhutto faction) on Wednesday paid tribute to late G. M. Syed for his services in the cause of Sindh, Sindhi language and literature and education.

They were speaking at a function held at the Hyderabad Press Club to mark the 103rd birth anniversary of the founder of the Jeay Sindh movement.

The birthday cake was jointly cut by Mr Bhutto, Wahid Bux Viko, Shams Shoro and others amid slogans of Jeay Sindh and Jeay Syed.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Bhutto said that Mr Syed was imprisoned for 27 years for raising the slogan of Jeay Sindh and struggling for the establishment of Sindhu Desh.

He said that Mr Syed joined politics at a tender age of 14 years by taking part into the struggle against the British Raj. He said that Mr Syed considered politics as worship, created awakening in the masses and introduced new trends in politics.

He said that as provincial education minister, Mr Syed contributed to laying foundation of the Sindh University, Sindhi Adabi Board and Bhit Shah cultural Institute.

He said that Mr Syed was a champion of women's rights and had abandoned old dogmas as a result his daughter defied the traditions and obtained a PhD degree on sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai.

He said that Mr Syed also was a sufi as he did not believe in caste, colour or creed and opposed religious extremism.

Others speakers included Qayoom Rahimoon, Dr Zulfiqar Leghari and Sikandar Jamali.