Journalist Gadani’s family not allowed into Bhuttos’ mausoleum to register protest

LARKANA: A caravan from Ghotki travelled to the Bhuttos’ mausoleum in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto to register its symbolic protest on the grave of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto over alleged slackness on the part of police in arresting the suspects nominated in the murder FIR of journalist Nasrullah Gaddani.

However, the vehicles carrying members of the caravan were stopped by police at Bahman plot, one of the entry points of Larkana district, on Sunday.

Gadani’s mother, Ms Pathani, his brother Yakoob Gadani, and civil society activists including Asad Pitafi and Naimat Khuhro were members of the caravan. All of them had to walk up to the mausoleum. Before reaching the mausoleum, they were again stopped by police near Panjodero village but somehow managed to reach the outer gate of the mausoleum.

A strong contingent of police led by DSP Paras Bakhrani stopped them from entering the mausoleum.

Under the scorching sun and sweltering heat, the slain journalist’s mother fainted while the caravan was holding a sit-in in front of the outer gate of the boundary. Local journalists said she received first aid after Rescue 1122 team was called in.

Ms Pathani, Yakoob Gadani, Naimat Khuhro and others then restricted themselves to media talk during the sit-in. They repeated their appeal to the Sindh government to take steps for the arrest of the nominated suspects.

They recalled that Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, during their earlier sit-in in Karachi, had promised to ensure the arrest of suspects within three days but, they regretted no progress was seen as yet. “We simply wanted to place our complaint on the grave of Benazir Bhutto against the lukewarm attitude of police,” Yakoob Gadani said.

Larkana SSP Dr Mir Rohail Khan Khoso, when contacted by Dawn, said that most likely the protesters would call off the sit-in as they were preparing to wind up and return to their homes.

However, the sit-in was continuing at the gate No. 12 of the mausoleum till late in the evening.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2024