Re: Sindhis also victims of recent violence
Non-Sindhis of Khairpur resent Elahi’s propaganda
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
By our correspondent
KHAIRPUR: Non-Sindhis living in the city have resented the propaganda campaign by Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) Punjab President Pervaiz Elahi in which he accused the Sindhis of damaging properties of Punjabis in riots in the aftermath of the assassination of Pakistan People’s Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto.
Prominent politician Chaudhry Sajid Hussain on Monday condemned the propaganda and said there was no ethnic dimension to rioting in the province after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. No shop of Punjabis or other non-Sindhis was damaged or torched in the city, he said.
**Non-Sindhis and Sindhis are living side by side, he said. The Punjabis never feel themselves alien among the local population, he said, accusing Pervaiz Elahi of giving ethnic colour to the great tragedy.
**
Muhammad Yamin Punjabi, a supporter of the PPP, said he and his brothers have been booked and facing hardships but he condemns such elements who are trying to foment violence in the name of ethnicity. He said the people of the city are beyond such discrimination. During the violence not a single shop or house of any Punjabi was damaged in the city, he said.
**PML-Q worker Gulzar Hussain announced his disassociation from the PML-Q, saying irresponsible attitude of the Punjab former chief minister has compelled him and other party workers to leave the party because it is conspiring against the federation and projecting ethnicity.
Meanwhile, PML-Q leaders here are confused over the policy and condemning such ethnic publicity strongly. They protested to their leaders that such propaganda would lead to dismemberment of the country.
They said during rioting 11 people, including six bank employees, were killed and all of them were Sindhis. They urged the Punjab former chief minister and others to apologise with the people of Sindh.**