Thousands of men, women, and children from Pakistan's minority Kohli community called off a major two-day protest on Friday after senior police officials pledged to take action against a powerful landlord accused of murdering a young farmer. The demonstration had severely disrupted traffic on the crucial Thar coal road in Sindh's Badin district.
Road Blockade and Demands for Justice
The protest, which saw the complete blockage of the Thar coal supply route and the main road connecting Badin to Hyderabad via Tando Muhammad Khan, was backed by a coalition of over a dozen political, nationalist, and religious parties. The core demand was the immediate arrest of influential landlord Sarfaraz Nizamani, who stands accused of gunning down 22-year-old farmer Kailash Kohli earlier this month.
Protesters stated that the incident occurred on January 4 in a village near Talhar. They alleged that Nizamani, after an argument, opened fire on the unarmed young man and fled the scene with armed companions. While a case was registered, the police's failure to apprehend the accused ignited widespread anger, leading to the massive sit-in.
Negotiations and a One-Week Ultimatum
Deputy Commissioner Yasir Bhatti and Senior Superintendent of Police Qamar Raza Jikani held three rounds of negotiations with the demonstrators. The talks were led by the victim's father, Chetan Kohli, who pleaded for swift justice for his son. Following assurances from the authorities, the community agreed to end the blockade.
However, the protesters issued a stern warning, giving the administration a one-week deadline to arrest the principal suspect. They vowed to return with even greater numbers if their demand was not met within the stipulated time.
Allegations of Police Inaction and Community Vulnerability
Addressing the media, Chetan Kohli provided harrowing details of the incident. He alleged that Nizamani was intoxicated and in a rage when he shot Kailash. The family rushed to the spot upon hearing gunshots only to find the young man lying on the ground with fatal bullet wounds. "When we reached there, the accused and his men pointed guns at us and then escaped," Chetan claimed.
Minority rights activist Sodhi Kohli launched a sharp critique against the police, stating that the daylight killing of an unarmed peasant underscored the extreme vulnerability of impoverished communities. She questioned why the suspect remained free despite immense public pressure and urged authorities to act with empathy and enforce the law without bias.
In a significant show of solidarity, the Badin District Bar Association suspended all court activities on Friday. Lawyers condemned the killing and accused the police of hesitating to proceed due to the suspect's clout. Members of the bar joined the protest alongside representatives of the Sindh Kohli Ittehad and various political parties, unanimously calling for prompt and impartial justice.
