Awami Tehreek announces province-wide protests in Sindh against US aggression on Iran and rising inflation
Chehra WebDesk
Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: The Central Committee of Awami Tehreek has announced province-wide protest demonstrations across Sindh against rising inflation in Pakistan and what it termed US aggression against Iran. A protest demonstration will be held in Hyderabad on March 17.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the party’s Central Committee chaired by its central president Advocate Vasand Thari at D-10 Palijo House in Qasimabad, Hyderabad.
The meeting reviewed the national and international situation in detail and said that what it described as American imperialism had put global peace at serious risk through its “unilateral and aggressive policies”. The participants condemned the continued attacks by the United States and Israel, alleging that they had resulted in the killing of innocent civilians, including schoolgirls and other non-combatants, as well as Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The meeting termed these acts “deeply condemnable”.
The committee criticised Pakistan’s position on the US attacks on Iran, claiming it reflected the interests of American power.
The meeting also decided that the eighth death anniversary of Awami Tehreek founder Rasool Bux Palijo would be observed on June 7 in Mangar Khan Palijo village near Jungshahi, where a public gathering will be held. A preparatory committee was formed to organise the event.
Participants in the meeting also observed two minutes of silence in memory of civilians, including children and women, who were killed in attacks in Iran and Lebanon. The party specifically referred to the deaths of 165 children in an attack on a girls’ school in Manab city in Iran, paying tribute to the victims.
The meeting condemned a resolution passed by the United Nations Security Council against Iran and criticised Pakistan’s support for it. It described the resolution as serving the interests of the United States and Israel. According to the speakers, the United Nations had failed to prevent what they called American aggression and had become ineffective, drawing parallels with the historical failure of the League of Nations.
Addressing the meeting, Advocate Vasand Thari said the killing of innocent children represented “the height of brutality and oppression”. He said the international community, including the United Nations, should recognise Iran’s right to defend itself. According to him, Iran was resisting global imperialism and fighting a defensive war.
He said Pakistan should extend unconditional support to Iran, including sending medicines and food supplies, and should raise the issue of attacks on Iran’s petroleum and water reserves at the United Nations. He warned that attacks on petroleum facilities could cause serious environmental damage in the region, potentially affecting Iran, Pakistan and neighbouring countries through pollution, respiratory diseases and broader ecological consequences.
The Awami Tehreek leader also criticised the prime minister’s reported decision to reduce government employees’ salaries by 5 to 30 per cent, calling it an anti-people measure. Instead, he demanded a 30 per cent increase in salaries for employees in grades 1 to 16 and higher wages for labourers, along with urgent steps to curb inflation and unemployment.
The meeting also demanded that work on all dams, including the Bhasha Dam, be halted and that Sindh be given its due share of water under the Sindh-Punjab Water Agreement of 1945.
It further called for fair prices for farmers for crops including tomatoes, wheat and mustard. The participants criticised the government’s decision not to fix a support price for wheat and demanded that the minimum support price be set at Rs5,000 per maund.
The meeting also condemned the increase in petroleum prices, stating that Pakistan possessed its own petroleum resources but the government had raised prices under pressure from companies. It demanded that the increase be withdrawn immediately.
The meeting was attended by Awami Tehreek central general secretary Advocate Sajid Hussain Mahesar, senior vice-president Noor Ahmed Katyar, vice-president Sattar Rind, and party leaders Lal Jarwar, Dr Rasool Bux Khaskheli, Mah Noor Mallah, Advocate Ismail Khaskheli, Advocate Raheel Bhutto, Kashif Mallah, Advocate Izhar Daudpoto, Advocate Najeebur Rehman Mahesar, Ali Muhammad Parvez, Jam Tamachi, Parah Somro, Abdul Rehman Somro, Dr Dildar Laghari, Noor Nabi Paleejo, Muhammad Ali Talpur, Advocate Ayaz Kaloi, Advocate Khalid Tanio, Hussain Somro, Majeed Sagar Parhyar, Mumtaz Khoso, Advocate Asif Khoso and Advocate Mir Parvez Daudpoto, among others.
