DADU, Jan 17: Sindh United Party chairman Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah has said that despite differences with the PPP government over a number of burning issues of Sindh, his party will not support any act which harms democracy.
The government should complete its tenure and general elections should be held according to schedule, he said while addressing a gathering organised by family of the late G.M. Syed at his bungalow in Sann town on Thursday to mark the 109 birth anniversary of the founder of Jeay Sindh Tehreek. Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party chairman Dr Qadir Magsi, NPP and PML-F MPAs also addressed the function.
Almost all major nationalist parties organised gatherings in the native town of G.M. Syed, which were addressed by their leaders.
Mr Shah who is also convener of Sindh Bachayo Committee reacted strongly to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain’s threat about Sindh’s division and said the Sindh People’s Local Government Act was aimed at dividing Sindh.
He said that supporters of the SPLGA were not loyal to Sindh and warned if the government did not repeal the LG law the SBC would continue its struggle.
He demanded the government provide security to Shias and urged release of activists of nationalist parties who were arrested during protests against the LG law. He condemned killing of Baloch people and army operation in Balochistan.
STP chairman Dr Qadir Magsi said that PPP leadership was not loyal to Sindh. The LG law was a black law and Sindhis would never accept it, he said. He believed nationalist parties and their allies would defeat PPP in next general elections.
NPP’s MPA Masroor Hussain Jatoi said that PPP had abused mandate of Sindhi people by making LG law to appease the MQM and appealed to people to vote PPP out in next general elections.
PML-F MPA Nusrat Sahar Abbasi said that her party would continue struggle against the LG law. The PML-F would repeal the law when it came to power in Sindh, she said.
Sindh Hari Committee president Azhar Hussain Jatoi, Sunni Tehrik leader Matloob Ahmed, SUP leaders Dr Dodo Maheri, Syed Shah Mohammad Shah, Syed Zain Shah and Mir Moula Bux Leghari also addressed the gathering.
Jeay Sindh Tehrik chairman Dr Safdar Sarki said at his party’s programme that JST would resist all anti-Sindh actions. He slammed the LG law and said PPP would be taken aback by results of next general elections as Sindhis would not vote them to power this time.
Jeay Sindh Mahaz chairman Riaz Chandio announced at his party’s gathering that JSM would participate in SBC protest to be held in Nawabshah on Feb 3 and would take out a rally against the law in Hyderabad on Feb 27.
JSQM chairman Sanan Qureshi said at his party’s function that JSQM would resume protests if his father’s killers were not arrested. JSQM would take part in all SBC gatherings, he said.
Abdul Wahid Arisar, chairman of his own faction of JSQM (Arisar group), said that G.M. Syed’s dream about an independent Sindh would soon come true.
Arisar’s views were seconded by JSMM chairman Shafi Mohammad Burfat in a recorded video. He said that murders of JSMM leaders would bring about a change in Sindh. He appealed to the European Union and international human rights organisations to take notice of murders of JSMM activists and leaders.
Earlier, leaders and activists of nationalist parties visited the grave of G.M. Syed, laid floral wreaths and offered fateha.
Our Hyderabad staff correspondent adds: Speakers at a programme held in Qasimabad on Thursday to mark the birth anniversary of G.M. Syed said that Sindh was witnessing a new wave of nationalistic fervour and rulers were trying to rein it in.
Jeay Sindh Mahaz (Khaliq Junejo) chairman Abdul Khaliq Junejo said that people of Sindh were peace loving but they would never accept peace at the cost of Sindh’s existence.
He said that Syed was not a racist. “Sindh needs a new ideological struggle which is laced with anti-establishment, secular and national ethos. Rulers, political parties and even judiciary believe in this system of status quo,” he said.
He said that rulers were trying to counter the nationalist struggle by backing feudal lords who had always been hand in glove with the establishment.
JSM senior vice-chairman Dr Barkat Jatoi said that Syed made people aware of the fact that they were being deprived of their resources. Sindh should be given right to self determination, he said.
JSM central leader Kaleem Durrani urged people to distinguish between friends and foes and lashed out at a written speech by a young woman who used objectionable language against migrants from India.
“Why do we tend to fight ourselves to serve someone else’s agenda?,” he said, adding he being an Urdu-speaker was saddened by the speech because such belligerent attitude would harm national struggle.
Dr Bakshal Thallu agreed with Durrani and said that Syed should not be made an idol and his personality should be discussed academically.
The gathering adopted a number of resolutions, demanding sovereignty and autonomy for all oppressed nations, declaration of Pakistan as a multi-nation state, right of self determination to Sindhis, Sindh’s right over natural resources, a halt to operation in Balochistan and talk about division of Sindh.