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DADU/HYDERABAD: In a crackdown on Sindhi nationalist activists on Monday night, scores of men and women were arrested while they were returning home after attending a programme held in Sann town of Jamshoro district to observe 27th death anniversary of veteran nationalist leader GM Syed.
An FIR (No. 8/22) was registered against 190 activists – 23 of them not named -- belonging to various nationalist groups at the Chachar police station on the complaint of its SHO, Sajidullah Kumbhar, under Sections 123-A, 124A, 153-A, 147, 148, 149, 109 and 505 of the Pakistan Penal Code; and 11/B and 6/7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
The complainant stated in the FIR that the suspects raised anti-state and anti-army slogans at the programme. Firearms were also displayed at the event, he claimed, adding that slogans for separation of Sindh from the country were also raised.
The police on Tuesday produced 87 of the suspects in the Jamshoro anti-terrorism court (ATC), which remanded them in judicial custody for 14 days. The suspects included 25 women.
Before being produced in the court, they were kept at Jamshoro, Kotri and Manjhand police stations.
According to sources, the activists were intercepted by police and Rangers personnel on their way back home via Amri, Petaro Toll Plaza and other sections of Jamshoro Road.
Prominent among the arrested activists included elderly nationalist figure Dr Nazir Khokhar and his wife Azra Khokhar; Farman Soomro and his wife Firdous Soomro; Mohammad Ali Ujjan, Ayaz Dasti, Gulzar Shah, Amir Ali Thaheem, Mohammad Tahir Afridi, Mohammad Nasir, Saeed Ahmed and Ghulam Nabi.
Firduous Soomro told local reporters that they were on their way to the Lal Shahbaz Qalandar’s shrine from Sann when they were picked up by police and Rangers personnel. She said her husband, Farman Soomro, and his friend, Murtaza Gul, were shifted to some unknown place.
Among those who have been nominated in the FIR but not arrested yet are eminent writer Taj Joyo, his son Sarang Joyo and latter’s wife Sohni Joyo. The family belongs to the Sindh Sujag Forum. The others are Nawaz Khan Zaunr of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Party (JSQM) and many activists of various factions of Jeay Sindh Tehreek and proscribed Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM).
The women among them are Ms Zainab, Ms Nazmeen, Ms Shazia,Ms Saima, Ms Zeenat, Ms Laibah, Ms Khursheeda, Ms Shaheen, Ms Amna and Ms Jann.
Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2022
