BADIN: More than 35 activists of the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) were arrested for making speeches against Pakistan and the Father of the Nation during a rally held in Matli town on Monday.

An FIR (62/2015) was registered under sections 153B (Inducing students, etc., take part in political activity), 123-A (Condemnation of the creation of the state, and advocacy of abolition of its sovereignty), 124-A (Sedition) and 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Those nominated in the FIR included JSQM Badin district chief Mukhtiar Bozdar, Mumtaz Zaur, Suhail Khoso, Abdul Wahid Manganhar, Shakil Solangi, Urs Mallah, Awais Khaskheli, Azad Jamali, Lutifullah and Irfan Ahmed Jhehjo.

Matli SHO Raja Naveed told Dawn that the rally participants raised slogans against Pakistan and its founding leaders. He said raids were being conducted on the houses of the arrested suspects and a few more people were picked up.

Some of the arrested suspects told journalists that most office-bearers of the party’s Badin district had been implicated in the case, adding that the rally participants were only demanding arrest of the killers of their party leaders, including ‘slain’ chairman Bashir Qureshi.

MIRPURKHAS: Two activists of a nationalist party were detained after a similar rally was taken out in Mirpurkhas city on Monday.

The participants held a demonstration outside the local press club and allegedly raised anti-state slogans. Reports suggested that the protesters dispersed peacefully but the area police picked them up while they were leaving the protest venue. Police, however, denied having detained any of the protesters.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2015

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