Protest against occupation of graveyard land

Protest against occupation of graveyard land: Five hurt as police baton-charge villagers
By Amar Guriro

KARACHI: At least five people including two women and a child were injured on Friday when police baton-charged hundreds of residents of coastal villages protesting against the occupation of a historical graveyard in Chasma Goth by Pakistan Army Malir Cantonment personnel.

The protesting villagers had gathered to demolish the recently constructed boundary wall around the graveyard by the army personnel. However, a large number of Ibrahim Hyderi policemen reached the spot and baton-charged the protesters.

Later, the police registered an FIR no 164/2010 against 42 villagers of Chasma Goth, Goth Ilyas Jat, Ali Brohi Goth and other small fishermen settlements. Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) Chairman Mohammed Ali Shah was nominated as the main accused in the FIR.

The villagers told this scribe that the graveyard held immense importance for them as 100,000 people living in fishermen settlements have been burying their deceased loved ones there for the last several decades, but now army personnel had occupied it.

“They [Pakistan Army personnel] have occupied the graveyard, and are not allowing villagers to bury their departed ones in it,” said PFF office-bearer Sami Memon. “We tried to register a case against those who occupied the graveyard, but instead, the police refused to do so,” Memon added.
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