LARKANA: Speakers at a conference have expressed their view that recurring incidents of honour killing, bloody tribal clashes and cruel practices are manifestations of feudal system, which has been allowed to perpetrate its atrocities in Sindh under a conspiracy.

They said at the moot titled “Stop tribal feuds and lawlessness” organised by Awami Tehreek (AT) in Kandhkot on Sunday evening that feudal lords made a mockery of law and Constitution by openly holding jirgas in Sindh.

Lal Jarwar, central president of AT, said that under the feudal system, the feudal lords, landed aristocracy and so called leaders had been allowed to exploit the province’s resources and deprive its people of their legitimate rights.

It was a cruel legacy of colonial rule which present rulers were continuing for their vested interests, he said.

Speakers at conference demand ban on jirgas, supremacy of law

He demanded that ban should be imposed on jirga, agricultural lands should be distributed among peasants and those who had violated the constitution of the country should be taken to task.

Noor Ahmed Katyar, secretary general of AT, said that Sindh had been turned into a safe sanctuary for dacoits. Through digital census and a bill presented in parliament by Mohsin Dawar ethnic riots, terrorists and drug sellers were being introduced in Sindh, he said.

He demanded that killers of Prof Ajmal Sawand should be arrested immediately and vowed to continue struggle till the elimination of feudal system from Sindh. The party also condemned murder of policeman by dacoits in Kashmore, he said.

Sattar Rind, central joint secretary of the party, and local leaders of Hari Tehreek, Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party, Sindhiani Tehreek, Sindhi Shagird Tehreek, Awami Workers Party, Progressive Sindh Alliance and others raised questions where did the dacoits and terrorists acquire sophisticated weapons and how did they afford to buy the costly weapons.

They questioned the performance of Rangers and police who had been deployed for combating the dacoits and terrorists in the province.

The moot passed a resolution demanding police should be armed with sophisticated weapons and training to fight against dacoits and terrorists. At least Rs5 million each be given as compensation to heirs of martyred police officials and government jobs be given to their children, it said.

It urged police to arrest Prof Sawand’s killers immediately and get Nazia Khoso and other hostages freed from the clutches of dacoits.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2023