HYDERABAD, June 1: The Awami Tehrik will hold a big public meeting in Karachi on July 15 to mark chehlum of its supporters who died in firing on Mohabat-i-Sindh rally in the city on May 22, and will organise similar rallies across Sindh, ending with a big rally in Islamabad on Aug 14.

Addressing a news conference here on Friday, AT president Ayaz Latif Palijo said that present regime had proved it was anti-people and anti-state. He said that unbearable price-hike and unprecedented joblessness had pushed people to the brink of starvation, the poor and the peasants were dying of hunger while the rulers were busy in setting records in corruption.

He said that duration of loadshedding was getting longer by each day with no hope in sight of the end of the crisis.

On the one hand, PPP’s waderas were perpetuating jagirdari system in rural areas while on the other MQM’s terrorists were spreading terror in urban centres, he said.

Mr Palijo said that his party considered all non-Sindhis as brothers but the MQM had proved through its actions it considered Sindh a conquered territory since its creation under Zia regime.

He demanded a ban on MQM and reopening of 10,000 cases shelved by the government. The elements raising slogans of Muhajir province and those who had illegally settled in Sindh after 1954 should be repatriated to their countries of origin, he said.

He said a new constitution should be drafted in light of 1940 Lahore Resolution and advised people of Sindh to take revenge of their humiliation from PPP through ballots.

Mr Palijo demanded arrest of the attackers of May 22 rally and said cases should be lodged against Rehman Malik, Sindh governor, MQM’s Saleem Shahzad and Saleem Hyder of Muhajir Sooba Tehrik on charges of murder.

He demanded Rs5 million each for those killed in firing on May 22 rally and Rs3 million each for the injured. From June 3 to August, Mohabat-i-Sindh rallies would be held in all district headquarters in Sindh.