HYDERABAD, March 18 The Pakistan Muslim League-Functional demanded on Wednesday that March 20, martyrdom day of Pir Syed Sibghatullah Shah-II alias Sooriah Badshah should be declared as public holiday in Sindh in recognition of his struggle for freedom from the British Raj.

Party leader Ms Zaibunnisa Mallah said at a news conference at the press club that Sooriah Badshah`s relentless struggle had also played a major part in the creation of Pakistan.

She said that it was Sooriah Badshah who had raised the slogan of “Freedom or Death” and ultimately laid down his dear life fighting against the British rulers.

She demanded that the governor of Sindh and chief minister should declare March 20, the martyrdom day of Sooriah Badshah, as public holiday in Sindh and urged the president and prime minister to issue a memorial coin and postal stamp on the day in recognition of the supreme sacrifice of the great freedom fighter.

She lamented that successive governments had ignored the martyrdom and sacrifice of the great leader and expressed the hope that the federal and provincial governments would direct the Sindh University to announce establishment of Shaheed Sooriah Badshah chair on March 20.

She advised the government to include a chapter on Sooriah Badshah in the syllabus for primary up to university level to make the younger generation aware of their heroes.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club, the boy`s mother Zainab Nizamani, sister Fatima and other relatives alleged Irfan`s step uncle, Waseem, called him out and shot him dead during the midnight of Feb 16.

Irfan was a student of first year at the government college Sanghar, they said.

They said that they lodged an FIR at Sanghar police station but police failed to arrest the accused because he was very influential.

They accused him of issuing threats to the family and appealed to authorities to direct police to arrest the murderer and give them justice.