Pakistan: Sindh on edge as state suppression and enforced disappearances spark fresh uprising

Traffic between Pakistan's Karachi and Hyderabad is expected to face severe disruption once again, as the Hyderabad bypass, which connects the M9 Motorway to the National Highway, is set to become the site of another major sit-in protest in the coming days, the Jeay Sindh Mahaz (JSM) has announced the demonstration to protest against the alleged enforced disappearances of Sindhi nationalists and to denounce what it calls politically motivated FIRs filed against its leaders, as reported by The Express Tribune.

According to The Express Tribune, the announcement follows the Counter Terrorism Department's (CTD) statement declaring the arrest of two men previously listed by JSM as missing, GhAman Chandio and Sarmad Meerani.

The CTD has accused both men of being linked to nationalist groups allegedly involved in acts of terrorism.


In response, JSM Chairman Riaz Ali Chandio stated his party would not back down from the planned protest, despite the CTD's presentation of the arrested men before a court.

"The people of Sindh feel like strangers in their own land," Chandio stated. "The rule of law, democracy, and justice have vanished from the province."

He went on to criticise the systematic suppression of nationalist voices, alleging that Sindhi activists who advocate for the province's rights are being silenced through forced disappearances and intimidation.

Chandio claimed that, while genuine political dissent is being crushed, criminal elements, including corrupt politicians, riverine dacoits, drug traffickers, and illegal immigrants, are allowed to thrive under state protection.

Chandio also held the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) responsible for the province's worsening state, accusing the ruling party of presiding over two decades of corruption, mismanagement, and neglect, as highlighted by The Express Tribune.

With yet another sit-in looming, commuters on the country's key intercity routes are bracing for disruptions while the protest highlights the widening gulf between Sindh's nationalist forces and the state's institutions amid growing anger over what many in the province view as a deepening human rights crisis, as reported by The Express Tribune.