THATTA: Several hundred enraged activists took to the streets of Thatta soon after a key leader of the Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party (STP), Mohammed Hassan Samoon, was assassinated at Branch Mori on Saturday morning.

The STP has given a call for wheel-jam strike across the province for Sunday and announced that protest demonstrations and rallies would be held in all cities and towns of Sindh against the assassination.

Mr Samoon, who was chairman of the STP concept committee, was shot dead by three assailants said to be armed with sophisticated weapons and axes. His three relatives accompanying him were wounded in the attack. They were identified as Majeed, Nazir and Nabi Bukhsh Samoon.

The assassination sent a wave of anger among the party’s leaders, workers and supporters. A large number of shocked activists gathered at his native village and took the body to the nearby section of the National Highway to register their strong protest over the assassination. More party workers and supporters joined them in a sit-in that led to the closure of the highway for vehicular traffic for about an hour.

In the meantime, another large group of protesting activists marched up to the Thatta Press Club and staged a sit-in, raising slogans against the government and demanding arrest of all those involved in the assassination.

The protest coupled with panic caused a shutdown in Thatta and Makli towns where shopkeepers pulled down the shutters and transporters took their vehicles off the road.

STP central leadership issued a statement strongly condemning the assassination and calling for a province-wide wheel-jam on Sunday.

They announced a three-day mourning for Hassan Samoon.

STP Chairman Dr Qadir Magsi, who is currently in the United States, expressed his shock and grief over Comrade Samoon’s assassination and strongly condemned the attack.His son, Sarwan Magsi, and brother, Ghulam Ali Magsi, attended the day-long protests against the assassination.

Meanwhile, all four victims of the attack were taken to the Makli Civil Hospital by several hundred activists and members of the general public led by STP general secretary Haider Mallah and other leaders including Ghayas Memon, Dr Hameed Memon and Owais Bajkani. PML-N MPA Aijaz Shah Shirazi also joined in the protest.

At a press conference held in the afternoon, the STP leaders demanded arrest of a political rival of the deceased activist, alleging that he and his armed associates were behind the assassination.

They claimed that the suspect had not only implicated him in fake cases in the past, but also sent his armed associates to eliminate him.

The deceased activist, better known as Comrade Hassan Samoon, had started his political career in 1983 by joining the Sindh Watan Dost Party, led by Dr Arbab Khuhawar and Ali Hassan Chandio. The party was later merged with the STP.

Later, he joined the Sindh National Movement (formed by Ali Hassan Chandio) as its general secretary and parted ways with the STP but soon differences cropped up between him and the SNM leadership and Mr Samoon joined the Awami Tehrik for a brief period and then returned to the STP.

Suspects held

Police in the evening claimed to have arrested two suspects, Jummo and Ghulam Qadir Samoon, believed to be involved in the attack. They said raids were being conducted to arrest the prime suspect, Gul Mohammed Samoon.

An FIR was, however, yet to be registered.

BADIN: Protest rallies and demonstrations were held in Badin, Tando Bago, Matli, Talhar, Golarchi, Pangrio, Shadi Large, Kadhan and other towns of the district on Saturday against the assassination of Comrade Samoon.

Leading a rally in Tando Bago, Shah Nawaz Sial, Mohammad Aslam Mendo, Ahsan Umrani and others condemned the Thatta incident and demanded an early arrest of the killers.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2014