BAHAWALPUR: Rallies were taken out on Tuesday to mark the ‘martyrs day’ of the movement for the restoration of Bahawalpur province.

Later, a public meeting was held outside Farid Gate.

To commemorate the killing of two activists of the Bahawalpur movement Muhammad Azim Dadpotra and Muhammad Shafiq, Tuesday was observed as a mourning day for the departed souls and show of strength by a number of local groups of Bahawalpur Suba Mahaz for the demand of a separate province.

On April 24, 1970, police opened fire and lobbed tear gas shells on a [peaceful] ‘Suba’ rally, led by the late Prince Mamoonul Rashid Abbasi, to suppress the voice of local population for a separate province. The then martial law regime [of Gen Yahya Khan] prosecuted a number of Suba Mahaz leaders and activists who had been handed down different penalties in summary trials by the military courts.

On Tuesday, a number of rallies were taken out throughout the day at Farid Gate. The major procession [of motorcycles, cars, wagons] was carried out by senior vice president Jam Hazoor Baksh of Pakistan Kissan Board from Yazman, about 30km from here.

The participants were carrying flags inscribed with their demand and raising slogans. The small processions turned into a big rally at Farid Gate where a public meeting was held.

The main speakers were: MPA Dr. Syed Waseem Akhtar, Jam Hazoor Baksh, Syed Tabish Alwari, Nawaz Naji, Akram Ansari and Majid Hashmi.

They pledged to continue with their struggle for the acceptance of their demand for a separate province and urged the rulers to declare Bahawalpur province with an executive order.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2018