KARACHI: Activists of the Sindh Progressive Committee (SPC) — a conglomerate of the Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP), Awami Workers Party (AWP) and Jeay Sindh Mahaz-Khalique — held protests in parts of Sindh against ‘extrajudicial killings’ of the activists of Sindhi nationalist parties and dumping of their tortured bodies on roads in the province.

The SPC on Sunday staged a protest outside the Karachi Press Club against alleged abduction of political workers and dumping of their tortured bodies in desolate places.

Speaking to participants in the protest, Jeay Sindh Mahaz chairman Abdul Khaliq Junejo said that Sindh was not a conquered land, where people were targeted by “state sponsored torture for raising their voice for their national rights”.

He claimed that workers of nationalist parties were being victimised by the state for “making Sindh part of Pakistan under an agreement”.

The JSM leader said that bodies of Asif Panhwar, Waheed Lashari, Sarwech Peerzado, Wajid Langah, Faheem Bhutto and Allah Wadayo Mahar were recovered within a week while many other political workers were being kept in torture cells of ‘agencies’.

Convener of the Sindh Progressive Committee and chief of Awami Workers Party Sindh chapter Yousuf Masti Khan claimed that affiliation of Balochistan with Pakistan was made under, what he described as, ‘coercion’ and since then Balochistan and Sindh were being treated like a ‘colony’.

He claimed that in the past army carried out operation in Sindh and Balochistan, but now tortured bodied of youths were being found.

He warned that if discovery of tortured bodies continued, it would become difficult for the people of Sindh and Balochistan to go along with the state.

HYDERABAD: Nationalist parties’ activists marched on the call of the SPC from Old Campus University of Sindh to the local press club on Sunday while shouting slogans.

Leading the rally, CPP secretary general comrade Imdad Qazi demanded the government stop killings of nationalist activists as “they were being picked up, tortured and their bodies were dumped on roads”.

If the state itself broke laws, people would take laws in their hands and there would be anarchy in society, he said.

He warned that if the state did not pay attention to peaceful protests, people from across the province would stand up against these injustices.

He said that almost all Muslim majority countries were facing anarchy in the world. He said the government should not follow the US policies which had ruined Muslim countries like Iraq and others.

Sindh AWP vice president Abdul Latif Leghari and Hyderabad district JSM-Khalique president Khalid Junejo were present on the occasion.

SANGHAR: A number of political activists held a demonstration outside the Sanghar press club against the extra-judicial killings.

They held a protest march at the Sanghar-Mirpurkhas road which culminated at the press club.

They raised slogans against dumping of mutilated dead bodies of Sindhi narionalists in various parts of the province.

Addressing the protesters, Awami Workers Party leaders Bakhshal Thalho, Hasan Askari; Qaumi Awami Tehreek activist Qasim Aadil Laghari and PPP-SB local leader Hassan Lander said custodial killing of the Sindhi nationalists was the violation of human rights.

They asked the PPP government to tell the people of Sindh the cause of disappearance and killing of nationalist activists.

They demanded of the provincial government to recover the missing student of Mehran University Jamshoro, Kamlesh, safely.

MIRPURKHAS: Scores of workers and office-bearers of different political parties, nationalist organisations, civil society and NGOs held a demonstration under the banner of SPC Mirpurkhas here outside the local press club.

They condemned the enforced disappearances, torture and custodial deaths in the province.

Led by Zahoor Leghari and Taj Baloch, carrying banners and placards, they raised slogans. They demanded of the the government to immediately help stop custodial deaths and enforced disappearances of workers and office-bearers of different political organisations. They urged the government to take up the issue on the federal government level and resolve it in the benefit of the masses.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2014