 "Pakistan: Sindh tense as enforced disappearances, state suppression spark new wave of massive protests. Image: AI generated.")
Traffic between Karachi and Hyderabad is expected to be disrupted once again, as the Hyderabad bypass — linking the M9 Motorway with the National Highway — is set to become the site of another major sit-in protest in the coming days.
The Jeay Sindh Mahaz (JSM) announced the demonstration to condemn what it calls state-backed suppression and the alleged enforced disappearances of Sindhi nationalists, The Express Tribune reported.
Protest over missing activists
The announcement came after Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed to have arrested two men previously listed by JSM as missing — Ghani Aman Chandio and Sarmad Meerani. The CTD accused both of being linked to nationalist groups allegedly involved in terrorism.
In response, JSM Chairman Riaz Ali Chandio said his party would not be intimidated into silence. “The people of Sindh feel like strangers in their own land,” he said. “The rule of law, democracy, and justice have vanished from the province.”
Allegations of state suppression
Chandio accused authorities of systematically targeting Sindhi activists who advocate for the province’s rights, alleging that voices of dissent are being silenced through intimidation and enforced disappearances. He further claimed that while peaceful political activists are persecuted, “criminals, corrupt politicians, riverine dacoits, drug traffickers, and illegal immigrants” continue to operate with impunity under state protection.
Criticism of ruling PPP
The JSM chief also blamed the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for Sindh’s deteriorating situation, accusing the ruling party of overseeing “two decades of corruption, mismanagement, and neglect,” The Express Tribune reported.
Rising tensions
With another sit-in looming, commuters on one of Pakistan’s busiest intercity routes are bracing for traffic chaos.
The protest underscores the widening rift between Sindh’s nationalist groups and the state, amid growing anger over what activists describe as a deepening human rights crisis in the province.