Ethnic tensions increase in Sindh after murder of Hyderabad boy

A 35-year-old man, Bilal Kaka, was murdered at a hotel in Hyderabad on July 12. Ethnic tensions increased as a result of the incident.

According to details, Bilal went to a hotel near Hyderabad Bypass for dinner. He was allegedly murdered when a fight broke out between the hotel owner’s son and Bilal and his friends.

The murder has led to clashes between Sindhis and Pashtuns in the province. There are media reports of groups of people forcing restaurants and tea shops owned by Pashtuns to close down. 

In a video being shared on social media, dozens of people can be seen harassing a Pashtun immigrant and forcing him to shut down his tea stall.

Several political parties, including JI, MQM-Pakistan, Awami National Party, and nationalist leaders Jalal Mehmood Shah and Ayaz Latif Palijo have issued statements, urging both Sindhis and Pashtuns to demonstrate restraint. They also demanded the government take prompt action to defuse the tensions.

Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah denounced the Hyderabad incident during a speech at the Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) on Thursday.

The chief minister stated that the responsibility for the incident cannot be laid on a single community as a whole.

Sindh CM Syed Murad Ali Shah talks about Sohrab Goth. He says he knows how to protect land of Sufis- SINDH. pic.twitter.com/GcZjTkvRPo

— Sindh Chief Minister House (@SindhCMHouse) July 14, 2022