BADIN, Nov 18: A complete strike was observed in Pangrio town of Badin district on Monday in response to a call given by different religious parties against moves to get registered a second FIR of alleged desecration of a body by some religious fanatics earlier this month.

The body of a Hindu singer, Bhooro Bheel, was disinterred by some extremists who had joined a protest over his burial in the Muslim part of Haji Fakir graveyard.

The incident triggered a series of protests in several towns of Sindh over the following weeks. Police reportedly arrested 19 people for desecrating the body and recently Khabar Bheel, a brother of the deceased singer, filed a petition in the Sindh High Court’s Hyderabad circuit bench, seeking permission to lodge a second FIR of the incident.

While nationalist and secular groups along with human rights organisations have been continuing their support for the aggrieved Hindu family on the matter, religious parties and groups believe that the issue was being blown out of all proportion with some ulterior motives.

They gave a strike call for Monday to condemn attempts to undermine communal harmony in the province by exploiting the aggrieved family.

Responding positively to the call, traders and shopkeepers kept their businesses closed across Pangrio.

Public meetings were held and a rally was taken out in the town.

Speaking to the rally, Hafiz Niaz Ahmed Memon, Pir Ayub Jan Sirhindi, Hafiz Mohammed Samoon, Qari Abdul Basit, Hafiz Zaheer Abbas and others alleged that anti-social elements, including leaders of certain nationalist parties, were trying to spread hatred and communal tension in the town.

They said that Muslims and Hindus had been living together peacefully in this province for centuries and they never indulged in confrontation with each other.

However, they added, attempts were being made to pitch them against each other using the unpleasant incident.

They warned that nobody would be allowed to exploit the situation, and vowed to promote communal harmony in the province at all costs.

They apprehended that anti-Islam forces and Indian agents might be behind the constant attempts to exploit the aggrieved family.

The leaders also warned against implicating innocent people in the case through a fresh FIR, and said if such an attempt was made the protest would be intensified and extended to other parts of the province.

Meanwhile, former Tando Bago taluka nazim Pir Hamid Ali Shah Rashidi told a press conference in Pangrio that the matter was being politicised by unscrupulous elements to shatter peace in the town.

In fact, he said, he was away from the town on the day the incident had happened. Meanwhile, a strong contingent of police was deployed in the town to maintain peace during the day-long protest.

Strike criticised

The Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP), Badin chapter, has criticised religious parties for enforcing the strike to “harass the aggrieved family”.

CPP leader Imdad Qazi told journalists at the Sanghar Press Club on Monday that the Bheel community in Pangrio had been feeling insecure since the day of the incident, alleging that pamphlets containing threats of dire consequences were thrown into their houses at the behest of some religious groups on the eve of the strike.

He accused the local police of encouraging religious parties, who were exerting pressure on the Bheel family to withdraw their petition.

He appealed to the court to take notice of the threats being extended to the Bheel family.