LARKANA: A multi-party conference organised by Larkana Shahri Ittehad the other day hit out at performance of police and administration in the city and demanded serving justice to the victims of poor law and order and resolving all civic problems.

Speakers at the moot held to discuss chronic problems of the city expressed serious concern over worsening law and order conditions in the city, murder of citizens for resisting robbery attempts, rising sale of narcotics, nagging power outages, occupation of public parks and spaces, rampant corruption, nepotism and civic issues.

The gathering lambasted the performance of police and administration and decided to submit the citizens’ issues in writing to the institutions and authorities concerned.

Nasir Mahmood Soomro, emir of Jamiat Ulama-i-Islam-Fazl Larkana chapter, said that peace was essential for human survival, if there was no peace, there would be no education, trade, and politics.

He said it was rulers’ responsibility to ensure law and order and guarantee protection of people’s lives and property. JUI-F had played its role for peace by organising two peace jirgas in Sukkur which were attended by Sindh’s tribal chiefs.

He lamented that in Larkana, young men were killed in broad daylight for resisting attempts to rob them. All human life was precious but rulers moved under police protocol instead of ensuring citizens’ safety, he said.

He criticised the delinquent policing system, noting that an SSP could not even appoint an SHO as transfers and postings were decided by politically connected persons, creating distrust between police and public, which must be restored to establish peace.

He said that JUI-F would soon launch a campaign against drugs, ice (crystal meth), and alcohol, which were spreading in the city. Many university students were now seen consuming drugs, he said.

Advocate Athar Abbas Solangi, president of High Court Bar Association Larkana, said that in past, student and labour unions used to challenge rulers over public issues, but rulers abolished them to keep people subjugated.

“We are not hopeless, because hopelessness is disbelief [in God]. We believe we will rise again as a nation and reclaim our rights, even if those in power manipulate results through [the rigging of] Form 47,” he remarked.

He said that conditions in Sindh were worse than in the rest of the country, stressing that any hand raised against women must be cut off and justice must be served.

He criticised the murder of merit and said youth were humiliated despite scoring high marks in interviews.

He opposed the 26th constitutional amendment and Peca law, arguing that since judges were now appointed through votes, courts had stopped delivering justice. Civil supremacy existed only to make money, not to uphold merit, he said.

He said that during the reins of Zia, Junejo, and Musharraf, at least some semblance of merit existed, unlike now, and demanded depoliticization of police postings and transfers.

Rafiq Ahmed Abro, senior lawyer and former president of the Larkana District Bar Association, said that until civilian supremacy had been established and political parties freed themselves of slavery peoples’ problems would not be resolved.

Niaz Hussain Abro, president of the Larkana Citizens’ Alliance, said that the alliance was working for peace in the city by mediating disputes and resolving conflicts.

The gathering was also addressed by the alliance’s general secretary Nisar Mugheri, Ramzan Shaikh, PML-Q leader Babu Sarwar Siyal, Allama Ayaz Qumi, Sardar Zafar Sangi, Nayab Sarkash Sindhi, PPP-Shaheed Bhutto’s Ghulam Rasool Umrani, JUI-F’s Mohabbat Khuhro, Maqbool Mashori, Siraj Rashdi, Bakht Solangi of Watan Dost Mazdoor Federation, and representatives of various political, social, civil society, religious and labour organisations.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2025