Categories: World

Pakistan registers sedition cases against Sindh University students as nationalism resurges in province

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Pakistan has filed a sedition case against 21 students of the Sindh University (SU) along with 13-14 other people on Tuesday after the students celebrated the Sindh Cultural Day on November 18.</p>
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The police say that they filed the case after a delay of over a fortnight as they were identifying students and verifying their names.</p>
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Student rallies across <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sindh?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sindh</a> call for independence !!<br />
<br />
Sindh university Jamshoro,<br />
Agricultural university Tando Jam &<br />
Shah Latif university Khairpur.<br />
Sindh students up in revolt against Pakistani🇵🇰 occupation !!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreeSindhudesh?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FreeSindhudesh</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sindhudesh?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sindhudesh</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pakistan</a><a href="https://twitter.com/JSFMOfficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JSFMOfficial</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SindhIsNotPak?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SindhIsNotPak</a> <a href="https://t.co/TZAuDelhB0">pic.twitter.com/TZAuDelhB0</a></p>
— í𝖓𝖉íα𝖓 í𝖓𝖙є𝖑𝖑í𝖌є𝖓𝖈є 𝖓є𝖜ѕ (Follow) (@ExposeAntiIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/ExposeAntiIndia/status/1464051904598609920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Similarly, the university administration also issued notices to the students after a ten-day delay on Nov 27 as it was also making its own investigations. The university has charged the students with violating discipline and breaching the code of conduct agreed upon for permission to hold the event.<br />
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The sedition cases have been registered for raising slogans against Pakistan and the government, under the influence of the Singh nationalist party–Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM).<br />
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The founder and central chief organizer of the Jeay Sindh Freedom Movement, Zafar Sahito says that "hundreds of Sindhi nationalists are missing because of demand of national freedom". He has alleged that three young students were abducted by the Pakistani intelligence forces.</p>
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Pakistani intelligence agencies are not stopping their barbarism, within a week 3 young student political workers are abducted from occupied Sindh. It is a war crime. Hundreds Sindhi nationalist are missing because of demand of national freedom.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StopEnforcedDisappearances?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StopEnforcedDisappearances</a> <a href="https://t.co/jso7UuYglu">pic.twitter.com/jso7UuYglu</a></p>
— Zafar Sahito (@widhyarthi) <a href="https://twitter.com/widhyarthi/status/1465857516114432002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The police complaint says that the students raised anti-state slogans at the instigation of the banned JSMM leader Shafi Burfat. The complaint adds that the students cut across "different political and nationalist parties, celebrated the day at Zero Point, where they raised anti-Pakistan slogans".<br />
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Highlighting the discontent in Sindh, Pakistan human rights activist, Amjad Ayub Mirza, says: "Student rallies across Sindh call for independence. Sindh university Jamshoro, Agricultural university Tando Jam and Shah Latif university Khairpur. Sindh students up in revolt against Pakistani occupation!!!!"<br />
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In another tweet, Mirza has posted a photograph of Pakistani forces allegedly conducting search operations in the Qambar Shadad kot in Sindh for Sindh freedom fighters.</p>
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Rangers and police forces comb the area of Qambar Shadad Kot in Pakistan occupied <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sindhudesh?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sindhudesh</a> in search of freedom fighters.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/22October2023?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#22October2023</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QuitPoJKGB?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QuitPoJKGB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SindhRejectsFeudalism?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SindhRejectsFeudalism</a> <a href="https://t.co/3Vs33Ku4cP">pic.twitter.com/3Vs33Ku4cP</a></p>
— Mirza (@Mirza45994191) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mirza45994191/status/1465585042135171072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The university's notice says that the students created a law and order situation which has affected the educational environment and study atmosphere. It adds that the students were only supposed to celebrate the day on November 18 within their respective departments and had been prohibited from holding demonstrations.</p>
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Media reports say that Sindhis are supporting the Baloch people in their agitation against Pakistani security forces as well as the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). </p>

Rahul Kumar

Rahul Kumar writes on international issues and is a keen watcher of South Asia, environment, urban development and NGOs.

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