Many held: JSQM, MQM strike in Sindh today

HYDERABAD, Feb. 27 (Online) - The district administration has launched a crackdown against the workers of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) and Mutehidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) late Sunday night in order to fail the strike call for February 28 (today). The JSQM and MQM jointly had given a strike call for today.

The police cordoned off the JSQM media centre and rounded up Faiz Chandio and Azad Jamali. Police is also hunting for Niaz Kalani and Shafi Burfat, the central leaders of the party. The administration has beefed up security measures and police has been posted on red alert. Police has also prepared a list of MQM activists.

Reports said that district administration has held meetings with the transporters' representatives urging them not to participate in the strike and ply their vehicles as on the their respective routes as usual.

Meanwhile, the provincial secretary Communist Party of Pakistan Comrade Imdad Kazi has advised the government not to interfere in the peaceful strike otherwise the consequences will be disastrous.

In a statement, Kazi criticised the statement of the Sindh Governor for creating a gulf between various communities of Sindh which had become narrow over the years.

He said due to the racial differences, thousands of people had been killed and displaced during the last 13 years and added that under a planned conspiracy the government was again trying to pollute the atmosphere.

He ridiculed the government claim that there was no martial law in the country and said that in violation of rules and regulations, people were being rendered jobless by the thousands and they were also being deprived of their right to protest. He asked the party workers to participate in the struggle aimed at resolving the problems of the people.

He said the party workers must provide guidance to the people as the traditional parties had no sympathy with the masses as these were interested only in grabing the power. He criticised the insensitivity of the authorities which had taken no notice of the hunger strike of Arab Lohar and added that no inquiry was being held in the murder of Rafiq Khoso.

Kazi demanded that an inquiry commission headed by a high court judge should be appointed to probe the murder of Rafiq Khoso and to punish the government functionaries involved in his murder.

Ends.Online.