Sindh Home Minister's residence in Moro set on fire by protesters

An angry mob torched the house of Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar in Moro town of Naushehro Feroze district on Tuesday after the police clashed with protesters in which one person was killed and 11 others, including three policemen sustained injuries, witnesses said. 

Moro was shut immediately as violence erupted in the town, with the protesters burning at least three cargo trailers on the National Highway, forcing the local authorities to call in police force from other districts to control the law and order situation. 

The protest was called by a nationalist organisation in Moro against the Indus canals, corporate farming, and other issues. When the protesters tried to stage a sit-in on the national highway, the police intervened and tried to forcefully breakup the demonstrators. During the clash, the protesters claimed, the police opened fire on them. They said that one protester, Zahid Leghari, died of injuries, while eight others including Irfan Leghari, Mohsin, Vishal Leghari, and Mir Hazar Korai were injured.

Initially, the injured were taken to a Moro Hospital, from where they were shifted to Nawabshah because of their critical condition. The protesters also burnt cargo trailers, plying on the National Highway which snaked through the Moro town. 

Later, a mob, wearing balaclavas, attacked the Lanjar House and set it on fire, a spokesperson said. No one except some staff were present in the house at the time of arson attack. The spokesperson stated that the attackers burnt furniture and injured some servants there.

As the police struggled to maintain order in the town, another mob took hold of three policemen, including Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Fayyaz Dahri, and subjected them to torture. However, they were freed later, according to eyewitnesses. Reports indicated that a mob threw stones at the Moro police station, while the police resorted to aerial firing to disperse them. As the night fell, tension gripped Moro with shops closed and people staying indoors. 

The home minister took notice of the violence in Moro and ordered an investigation. Large police contingents from Nawabshah, Dadu and Hyderabad districts had reached the town and helped the local police to restore order. 

Sindh Government’s spokesperson Aqriba Fatima has condemned attack on the house of Sindh Interior Minister in Moro Town. 

Aqraba Fatima said this attack was tantamount to challenging the state writ, the government will not remain a silent spectator. 

She said burning houses under the guise of personal grudge or political differences was unacceptable. Sindh government spokesperson said such incidents were a deliberate attempt to pollute the peaceful atmosphere of Sindh. 

She said objection to projects was a democratic right, but violence is not the solution. She added that action against the elements involved in the attack was inevitable as every plan to spread chaos in Sindh will be foiled.