NAWABSHAH: Heirs of Irfan Leghari, an activist who was wounded in shooting at the anti-canals rally in Moro on May 20, on Saturday kept resisting police’s attempt to hand over his body to them.

The family members and relatives had reacted angrily when the police party escorting the coffin-carrying ambulance arrived in the Leghari Bijarani village, in Sanghar district, late Friday evening. They said they would not accept the body from police, who killed their loved-one and also tortured and rounded up many of their community members at the peaceful Moro rally.

The body remained in police custody till late Saturday evening, over 24 hours after it was transported to the village.

According to sources in the village, Leghari’s heirs insisted that all those detained during and after the Moro rally be released and cases against them withdrawn. Besides, they demanded resignation of the IGP and DIG and registration of the FIR of the Moro incident as per their (heirs’) desire.

The sources said that the police expressed their readiness to the release of detained protesters.

The situation in the village remained tense as police officers and personnel detailed from various districts remained deployed there to maintain law and order. Mobile phones network remained shut in Moro town and its surrounding areas.

Strike call for today

Leaders and activists of various nationalist parties as lawyers’ bodies reached Moro on Saturday to offer their condolences to the heirs of Zahid Leghari and Irfan Leghari, who lost their lives in shooting at the rally. Scores of other people were injured in the violence that had followed the police action to disperse protesters.

The leaders announced a Sindh-wide shutterdown strike on Sunday (today) over the brute police action to disperse the rally.

Jeay Sindh Mahaz-Riaz chief Riaz Chandio, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz’s Dr Niaz Kalani and other nationalist leaders, speaking to the media on Saturday, strongly condemned the Moro incident.

They held the Sindh chief minister and home minister responsible for the violent incidents.

They argued that thousands of people had been participating in the peaceful rallies and sit-ins against new canals and corporate farming over the last 10 months. They May 20 rally in Moro was no different but police unnecessarily used brute force to break this rally which resulted in the loss of life and property.

“It’s height of tyranny that the body of Irfan Leghari was snatched from his heirs and relatives at the LUH in Hyderabad on Friday,” they condemned.

They also deplored implication of GDA leader Murtaza Jatoi and his brother, ex MPA Masroor Jatoi, in the Lanjar House arson attack case.

They said that the FIR of the Moro violence must be registered as per the desire of the heirs of Zahid and Irfan. The demanded immediate release of all detained rally participants.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2025