THATTA: Hoorunnisa Palijo — a veteran political and nationalist leader, human rights activist and sister of veteran Sindhi nationalist leader late Rasool Bakhsh Palijo — died in a Karachi hospital late on Friday evening at the age of 81.

She was among the founding leaders of Sindhiyani Tehreek (ST) — the women wing of R.B. Palijo’s Awami Tehreek (AT) — and also headed it as its president during the peak phase of the movement. Ms Palijo was regarded as an iconic figure who pro-actively took part in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD) and many other movements launched in Sindh for the province’s constitutional rights, human rights, women’s rights and different struggles for the rights of suppressed and marginalised segments of society.

Being a key leader of AT’s women wing, she always remained on the forefront of AT’s decades-long struggle for the rights of Sindh and Sindhis.

Hundreds of men and women, including activists and supporters of AT and ST as well as those of various political and nationalist parties, leaders of different human rights and social welfare organisations had started arriving in Mungar Khan Palijo village soon after hearing the news of Hoorunisda Palijo.

Wrapped in AT flag, the coffin carrying her body arrived in the village for burial in the wee hours of Saturday.

Wailing women workers along with deeply saddened AT activists had queued up along the route of the coffin-carrier near the village to pay their last respect to their beloved leader. Most of them were carrying party flags.

A similar line up was seen when the body was being transported to her ancestral town of Jungh­shahi. Expressing his deep shock and grief over Hoorunnisa’s death, AT’s Sindh President Advocate Wasand Thari said that she was a role model for all women working for the rights of suppressed and underprivileged women.

She always remained on the forefront in all rights movements launched in Sindh, he said.

Her contribution to the AT and ST was unmatched, he added.

Thari noted that she visited every nook and corner of Sindh to create awareness of women’s rights in Sindh’s rural areas.

Dada Abdul Qadir Ranto of AT described her as a brave woman who actively participated in various political movements, mainly the MRD and recently against the federal government’s controversial six strategic canals project.

AT General Secretary Sajjad Mahesar also expressed his grief and sorrow over her death and eulogised her for her great contribution to various rights movements.

Hoorunnisa’s niece and former PPP Senator, Sassui Palijo, termed her death a huge loss for the politics of Sindh.

Ayaz Latif Palijo, who heads his Qaumi Awami Tehreek QAT, said that his deceased aunt always followed in the footsteps of his father and established herself as a prominent political figure of Sindh.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2025