Hyderabad [Pakistan], January 10 : A two-day sit-in by the Hindu Kohli Community that brought traffic on the Thar coal road to a halt in Badin district concluded on Friday after senior police officials assured protesters that action would be taken against the influential landlord accused of murdering a young peasant.
The protest was staged by thousands of men, women and children belonging to the minority Kolhi community, with support from more than a dozen political, nationalist and religious parties. Demonstrators blocked the Thar coal supply route as well as the main road connecting Badin to Hyderabad via Tando Muhammad Khan, pressing authorities to arrest Sarfaraz Nizamani, who is accused of killing 22-year-old peasant Kailash Kolhi earlier this month, reported The Express Tribune.
According to the protesters, Kolhi was shot dead on January 4 in a village near Talhar. They alleged that the accused, a powerful local landlord, opened fire following a dispute and later fled the scene with armed associates. Despite the registration of a case, the accused had not been arrested, prompting outrage within the local community.
Deputy Commissioner Yasir Bhatti and Senior Superintendent of Police Qamar Raza Jikani held three rounds of talks with the protesters. The negotiations were led by the victim's father, Chetan Kolhi, who demanded immediate justice for his son. Following assurances from the administration, the protesters agreed to call off the sit-in, but issued a one-week ultimatum for the arrest of the accused.
Speaking to the media, Chetan Kolhi claimed that Nizamani was intoxicated and enraged at the time of the incident. He said the family rushed to the area after hearing gunshots and found Kailash lying on the ground with fatal bullet wounds. "When we reached there, the accused and his men pointed guns at us and then escaped," he alleged, as reported by The Express Tribune.
Minority rights activist Sodhi Kolhi strongly criticised the police, saying the killing of an unarmed peasant in daylight reflected the vulnerability of poor communities. She questioned the delay in arresting the main suspect despite public pressure and appealed to authorities to show compassion and uphold the law.
In a show of solidarity, the Badin District Bar Association boycotted court proceedings on Friday. Lawyers condemned the killing and accused the police of showing reluctance in pursuing the case due to the accused's influence. Members of the bar joined the protest alongside leaders of Sindh Kolhi Ittehad and various political and nationalist groups, demanding swift and impartial justice.
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