LARKANA, Nov 10: The Sindh Qaumi Ittehad has decided to launch a movement against what it called illegal occupation of Sindh’s land, including coastal areas and islands.

At a meeting of SQI’s principal committee held here on Friday, leaders discussed international and national situation with particular reference to Sindh.

Committee chairman Mumtaz Bhutto presided over the meeting.

Dr Qadir Magsi of the Sindh Tarqi Pasand Party, Hussain Bakhsh Thebo of Sindh National Congress, Qamar Mishwani of Jeay Sindh Mahaz-Zain Shah group, Serai Qurban Kuhawar of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz and Ayoub Shar of the Sindh National Front attended the meeting which was held at Mumtaz Bhutto’s residence.

The meeting decided to directly contact all Sindhi leaders, influential personalities, chiefs of political parties and parliamentarians from Sindh to brief them on the on-going moves against Sindh’s land and invite them to join the SQI’s struggle to frustrate their designs.

Terming the empowering of the Centre to sell and occupy Sindh’s land, including coastal areas and islands unconstitutional and illegal, the meeting in unequivocal terms said that the SQI would not accept it under any condition.

The meeting said that after severe bombardment in Balochistan and tribal areas the same exercise had been started in Sindh and very recently police had gunned down shepherd Sanaullah Narijo.

The SQI demanded that the government should conduct a judicial inquiry into the killing of Mr Narijo, otherwise, the SQI warned it would resort to demonstrations in protest against government’s atrocities, excesses where Sindhis had been targeted.

The meeting condemned blocking of a Sindhi channel “Sindh TV” and urged the media to play its due role by sticking to its stance based on principles.

The meeting called upon Sindh-based political parties, social organisations, farmers’ associations, teachers, advocates and labourers to unite on one platform for joint protests and demonstrations as their individual steps and initiatives weakened them and produced no positive results.

It was time to unite to get back land from the outsiders and securing rights, the meeting said.

The meeting condemned the issuing of threats to Sindhi leaders and transferring Sindhi officers from Karachi and Hyderabad. The SQI expressed concern over disappearances of Sindhi and Baloch political activists, including Dr Safdar Sarki, Asif Baladi and Akash Malah.