A large protest by residents of Sijawal Junejo, on Sunday, joined in the demand to make Shahdadkot a separate district. The rally reached Ratodero-Khuzdar National Highway after marching for one kilometre, where the participants staged a massive sit-in, blocking the road for two hours. Resultingly, all traffic came to a standstill as long rows of vehicles were seen stuck-up on both sides of the highway. The protesters were holding large placards and banners inscribed with their demand while an echo-sound system chanted their slogans. They urged the Sindh Government to accept their just demand. They were also joined by citizens of other villages, including Bahadur Bhand, Arzi Bhutto and Kot Lal Bux Mahesar. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Khan Mugheri addressed the protesters and said that despite being made a taluka, Sijawal Junejo remained largely neglected. People were still said to be facing various issues, for which no serious efforts were made. He lamented education was ruined while other essential facilities were unavailable. Haji Sardar Ali Jarwar noted Kambar-Shahdadkot was made a district on political grounds in 2004, Shahdadkot had received no development. Another PTI’s speaker, Musarat Shah, said that we do not want to do politics but want change here. He called for the provision of fundamental rights to the people and hailed it as the prime duty of the government. The locals here have been constantly ignored like other districts, he added. Grand Democratic Alliance’s (GDA) Muzafar Brohi remarked Sijawal was a very unfortunate tehsil because its town committee was converted into a union council. He said that clean drinking water was not available in the town for the past several weeks while adding that salaries of sanitation staff had also been suspended. The leader further wondered that if the elected representatives had been so competent, why were people suffering so much. He remarked that if Shahdadkot was made a district, many issues would be resolved. Hubdar Mirjat, Wahab Pindrani, Altaf Soomro, Ghani Mujahid, Talib Soomro and others also spoke on the occasion. Published in Daily Times, March 25th 2019.