ISLAMABAD: Scores of Sindhi nationalists staged a protest demonstration outside the National Press Club here on Sunday against the Sindh government and Bahria Town Karachi (BTK) for registration of alleged false FIRs against protesters in connection with the June 6 sit-in in Karachi.

The protesters gathered stated that on June 6 the indigenous people of Sindh, whose land had been acquired for construction of BTK, held a peaceful protest outside the gate of Bahria Town. They said the people protesting outside Bahria Town had nothing to do with the violence and fire incident inside the town. But, they added, they were booked in the FIRs to quell their voice.

Rizwan Haider, one of the protesters, said that a large number of Sindh indigenous people and nationalist leaders through a conspiracy, were booked and arrested in connection with the June 6 incident only to quell their voice against BTK.

Demonstrators say those who organised sit-in on June 6 had nothing to do with violence

Holding placards and a banner, the protesters in Islamabad chanted slogans. They belonged to Sindh Progressive Sangat, Sindh United Party and Sindh Action Committee and Awami National Party. They urged the government to look into what they called the false FIRs, saying that the cases were registered under a conspiracy.

According to an FIR got registered by BKT, some nationalist groups, including Sindh United Party, Jeay Sindh Mahaz, Jeay Sindh and Awami Tehreek on May 21 announced a protest against BKT.

The FIR stated that nationalist leaders, including Qadir Magsi, Jalal Mehmood Shah, Sanan Qureshi and Jan Mohammad Junejo, along with 8,000 to 10,000 people, gathered outside the BKT main gate where they delivered speeches against the housing project and incited people for violence.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2021