Pakistan: Rampaging Protesters Torch Sindh Home Minister’s Residence After Two Demonstrators Killed
Tensions in Pakistan’s Sindh province have spiraled out of control following the deaths of two protesters, prompting a wave of violence that culminated in the attack on the home of Sindh’s Home Minister, Ziaul Hassan Lanjar. Once-peaceful demonstrations have now escalated into widespread unrest, leaving both civilians and law enforcement officers injured, property destroyed, and traffic snarled along a vital national highway.
Clash in Naushehro Feroz Sparks Wider Unrest
On Tuesday, a protest organized by members of a regional nationalist group in Moro taluka, Naushehro Feroz district, turned deadly when police attempted to prevent demonstrators from staging a sit-in against the allocation of six canals for corporate farming. What began as a peaceful dharna (sit-in) quickly deteriorated into a violent confrontation. According to local reports, at least two participants—identified as Irfan Laghari and Zahid Laghari—lost their lives amid the chaos, while scores of others, including several policemen, sustained serious injuries.
From Protest to Arson
Outraged by the fatalities, demonstrators retaliated by setting fire to three trucks on the National Highway, one of which was transporting fuel. Videos circulating online show protesters looting sacks of urea fertilizer from overturned vehicles, intensifying the anarchy. However, the protesters’ fury did not stop there: a mob later descended upon Minister Lanjar’s residence. They smashed furniture, pulled down and destroyed air-conditioner units, and set ablaze several rooms inside his compound. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky, visible for miles around, before the minister’s security detail managed to disperse the crowd with warning shots.
Disrupted Transport and Looting
The unrest brought traffic on both sides of the National Highway to a standstill for hours. In the turmoil, opportunistic looters forced their way into a petrol pump manager’s office and made off with cash. Social media footage captures protesters wielding sticks and hurling verbal abuse at police lines, while law enforcement responded with tear gas and firing into the air in a bid to restore order.
Official Response and Political Fallout
In the aftermath, reinforcements from Nawabshah and Sukkur were deployed to regain control of the affected areas. Several nationalist parties swiftly condemned the police for their heavy-handed tactics, arguing that the original demonstration had been peaceful and only turned violent due to excessive force. Meanwhile, provincial authorities have pledged to investigate both the protest leaders’ demands and the conduct of security personnel on the ground, as Sindh grapples with mounting unrest and calls for accountability.