HYDERABAD: Enraged workers of various religious outfits took to the streets in many Sindh towns, burnt tyres on roads and staged sit-ins outside press clubs in the wake of police action against activists of Tehreek Labbaik Ya Rasoolallah to break up their protest sit-in in Islamabad early on Saturday.

Hyderabad witnessed abrupt closure soon after news about the operation against protesters was aired on TV channels. Activists of religious parties started gathering at Hyder Bux Jatoi chowk where they staged a sit-in.

All markets and roadside shops were shut in the city, Latifabad and Qasimabad areas after miscreants blocked roads by burning tyres at many places. Police kept watch over the proceedings of the sit-in which continued till 7.15pm.

The protesters’ leaders Sufi Raza Mohammad Abbasi, Haji Gulshan Ilahi, Mufti Hammad Raza and others said in their speeches that they were holding peaceful protests, which was their right.

Meanwhile, police picked up two suspects in Market area.

MIRPURKHAS: Workers of Sunni Tehreek (ST), Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) and various other religious organisations staged a sit-in outside the press club on Hyderabad-Mirpurkhas road.

The administration had deployed heavy contingents of police and Rangers to avert any untoward incident.

In Kot Ghulam Moha­mmad town, hundreds of workers of ASWJ and other religious outfits staged a sit-in outside National Press Club. Local administration had deployed police to maintain law and order.

BADIN: Activists of ST, Jamaat Qadriyya Mehm­oodiyya Qadriyya, Anjuman Sallu Allaihi Habib, Anju­man Aashiqan-i-Mustafa, Anjuman Bazm-i-Ghousia, Dargah Miyan Wali, Ghousia Noor Wardia, Jamaat Khalili Afadeya and others staged demonstrations and sit-ins in Badin and adjoining towns to express solidarity with Faizabad protesters.

The administration had deployed police in the towns to maintain law and order during the protests.

The protesters’ leaders Hafiz Mohammad Memon, Ghaffar Chandio and others, who led a demonstration and sit-in outside press club in Badin, condemned the operation against Faizabad protesters and said the government itself was creating chaos by torturing peaceful protesters.

In Talhar, ST activists staged a demonstration and sit-in on Talhar-Tando Bago road. The protesters’ leaders held the government responsible for the situation.

In Golarchi, ASWJ workers led by Pir Ghulam Shah and others observed a sit-in at Shaheed Fazil Rahu chowk. They raised slogans against the government and condemned police action against Faizabad protesters.

They said that they were waiting for the directions of their leaders about what course of action they were to take against “police brutality”.

Similar protests were held in other towns of the district.

THATTA: Angry protesters took to the streets of Thatta and enforced a total closure of markets, bazaars and shops in reaction to the action against participants in the Fairzabad sit-in earlier in the day.

The protesters were wearing black armbands and many of them were carrying flags of a religious outfit .

Later, they held a sit-in at the nearby section of on National Highway to disrupt flow of intercity vehicular traffic. The sit-in was continuing till the last reports came in.

DADU: Activists of various religious parties blocked Indus Highway in Dadu, Sehwan, Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah and Moro and took out rallies to protest against police action in Faizabad.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2017