NAWABSHAH / THATTA: The Qaumi Awami Tehreek (QAT) staged a ‘Mohabbat-i-Sindh March’ in Chaudagi, Sanghar district, against federal government’s plan to divide Sindh into several provinces or administrative units on Sunday.
The Sindh Taraqqi-Pasand Party (STP) also held a public gathering in Thatta on Sunday to express its strong opposition to the plan.
The QAT march, led by its chief Ayaz Latif Palijo, started from the Police Chowki to Kheria Pump in Sanghar city.
Addressing the participants, Mr Palijo said unity within Sindh and the country, national progress, and peace and education were the need of the hour.
Pakistan had been a shared homeland of people speaking different languages for centuries, he said, adding that all residents of Sindh would have to struggle together for their future with mutual respect, brotherhood and unity.
Instead of dividing people along lines of language and ethnicity, attention should be paid to a joint agenda of education, employment, merit, peace anddevelopment, he said.
Mr Palijo said Urdu and Sindhi speakers are equal citizens and they should together raise their voice against extremism, hatred, ignorance and deprivation.
Inflation, unemployment, corruption and lawlessness had made life of the common citizen difficult, he said. It was the responsibility of state institutions and governments to provide affordable justice, quality education, employment, basic facilities and a safe environment for the people, he added.
The QAT chief further said the youth should make education, research, technology and democratic struggle their priority.
He said that it was necessary to strengthen democracy, the supremacy of the constitution, the autonomy of parliament, an independent judiciary, a free media and transparent elections in the country.
Rather than turning political differences into enmity, dialogue, tolerance and peaceful democratic struggle should be promoted, he said.
‘Iwant to make it clear to the anti-Sindh forces that Sindh is not only a province, but the homeland of 80 million Sindhis. Sindh is unity. Sindh has been the homeland of Sindhis for thousands of years. As long aseven one Sindhi is alive, we will not allow Sindh to be divided,’ he said.
‘Sindh does not need division. It needs employment, education and water.
Instead of finding a solution to bad governance in the division of provinces, the real disease and plunder should be ended.
From Karachi to Kashmore, the people of Sindh had made it clear that they would not allow Sindh to be divided, he said.
The rulers should stop conspiracies against the country, he said, adding that ‘We will not remain silent against the conspiracy to break Sindh. We will go to every village and every city to awaken the Sindhi people in this regard,’ he said.
STP public meeting Addressing a public meeting outside the Thatta Press Club, STP Chairman Dr Qadir Magsi announced that a big march would be held in Karachi on Nov 15 against the new provinces plan.
He said the party was launching the first phase of ‘Sindh My Mother campaign’ as the first phase of its struggle against all’anti-Sindh’projects.
He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifshouldexplainthefederalgovernment’s position on the new provincesplan. ‘If he is not in favour of it, he must remove those ministers who have been advocating a division of Sindh, Dr Magsi said to his supporters outside the local press club.
He said Sindh is not merely a geographical territory or a resource-producing region, but a historic homeland of its people, adding that its territorial integrity would be defended.
Mr Magsi said his party supported devolution of resources, powers and authority to the grassroots level, preferably down to union council level, to promote development in rural areas and ensure equitable distribution of resources.
He said his party considered the creation of administrative units equivalent to new provinces unacceptable and warned that anyone supporting such a move would face political opposition.
Other STP leaders, including Maulana Ayaz Qummi, Hoth Khan Gadehi, Nisar Keerio, Gulzar Soomro, Dr Hamid Memon, Dr Ahmed Nonari, Ghulam Ali Magsi, Imtiaz Samoon, Khuda Bakhsh Dars, Saeeda Gopang, Jalal Shah and Tariq Amar Abbasi also addressed the gathering.
Earlier, Mr Magsi was received by party workers in Jherruck, Sonda and Chhato Chand areas.