Protests in Pakistan's Sindh over Hindu farmer's killing, ultimatum given to arrest accused: Report | Today News

Thousands of men, women and children hailing from the minority Kohli community in Pakistan ended their two-day protest, which disrupted traffic on the Thar coal road in Badin district, on Friday, after after top police officials reportedly assured protesters that action would be taken against the influential landlord who allegedly murdered a young farmer.

The protest, backed by over a dozen political, nationalist, and religious parties, saw demonstrators block the Thar coal supply route and the main road linking Badin to Hyderabad via Tando Muhammad Khan. They demanded the arrest of Sarfaraz Nizamani, accused of killing 22-year-old farmer Kailash Kohli earlier this month, according to The Express Tribune.

The protesters stated that Kohli was gunned down on January 4 in a village near Talhar. They claimed that the suspect, an influential local landlord, fired on him after an argument and then escaped with armed companions. Although a case was filed, the failure to arrest the accused sparked anger among residents of the area.

Deputy Commissioner Yasir Bhatti and Senior Superintendent of Police Qamar Raza Jikani conducted three rounds of negotiations with the protesters. The talks were spearheaded by victim's father Chetan Kohli, who called for swift justice for his son. After receiving assurances from the authorities, the demonstrators ended the sit-in, while warning that they would give the administration one week to arrest the accused, the report noted.

Addressing the media, Chetan Kohli alleged that Nizamani was drunk and furious at the time of the incident. He said the family hurried to the spot after hearing gunfire and discovered Kailash lying on the ground with deadly bullet injuries. “When we reached there, the accused and his men pointed guns at us and then escaped,” he claimed, according to The Express Tribune.

Minority rights activist Sodhi Kohli sharply criticised the police, stating that the daylight killing of an unarmed peasant highlighted the extreme vulnerability of impoverished communities. She questioned why the principal suspect had not yet been arrested despite mounting public pressure, and urged the authorities to act with empathy and enforce the law.

The Badin District Bar Association suspended court activities on Friday while demonstrating solidarity. Lawyers denounced the killing and accused the police of hesitating to move forward with the case due to the suspect’s influence. Bar members joined the protest along with representatives of Sindh Kohli Ittehad and various political and nationalist parties, calling for prompt and unbiased justice.