HYDERABAD: A sedition case was instituted on Monday against three sons of Taj Joyo — a well-known literary figure of Sindh — along with their over 250 supporters following a rally held a day earlier in Hyderabad.

The Cantonment police picked up two of the three brothers, Roplo and Housh Mohammad, in the wee hours of Monday and produced them in the Anti-Terrorism Court-I, which remanded them in judicial custody for three days.

The rally was taken out from outside the State Bank building and culminated in front of the Hyderabad Press Club, where participants held a demonstration. Titled ‘Sindh March’, it was organised by the ‘Sindhian National Congress (SNC)’ against proposed corporate farming plan and six canals project, as well as environmental degradation and alleged ‘enforced disappearances’ of political and nationalist workers.

The rally participants had dispersed peacefully at about 7pm but police carried out a raid on Taj Joyo’s home in the wee hours of Monday and picked up

Roplo and Housh Mohammad. They and over 250 men and women who had taken part in the rally were booked at the Cantonment police station vide FIR No. 57/25 under Sections 147, 149 and 123 A of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Sections 6/7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 on behalf of the state.

Those nominated in the FIR by name included Sarang Joyo, his wife Sohni Joyo, his brothers Roplo and Housh Mohammad, Ghani Aman Chandio, Deedar Ali Chandio, Imtiaz Mirani, Muzammil Gaho, Mohib Azad and Shabbir Leghari.

The FIR claimed that the rally participants raised slogans against the state and army and tore off pro-army posters.

A press release written on plain paper and distributed among media personnel said that speakers at the rally recalled that the 1945 agreement under international guarantees envisaged 75pc of Indus water for Sindh and mentioned that no canal from or dam over Indus would be built. Gen Ayub Khan sold three eastern rivers — Sutlej, Ravi and Bias — to India in 1960; the Tarbela and Mangla dams were built and then Chashma-Jhelum and Taunsa-Panjnad link canals were also built “to render Indus dry”, they said.

The press release stated that the rally was led by SNC central chief organiser Mohib Azad. It mentioned the names of SNC deputy chief organiser Sarang Joyo, central organisers Mukesh Kumar, Sohni Joyo and Aizaz Leghari; and SNC student wing’s central chief organisers Ghani Aman Chandio and central deputy chief organiser Adeel Leghari.

According to Taj Joyo, police trespassed into the house to apprehend his sons, Roplo and Housh Mohammad. He claimed that when his family did not open the iron gate, the raiding team broke open it to enter the house. He said people of the area also gathered there. He said that the rally was led by Sarang along with his wife Sohni.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2025