Sindhi separatists cracker-bomb banks across province

Sindhi separatists, inspired by Baloch nationalists, have launched a series of cracker blasts throughout the province on Wednesday to provoke the people to launch a ‘Baloch-like struggle for independence,’ it is reliably learnt.
This time the separatists targeted National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Sindh Bank and Citi Bank. Eleven blasts took place outside NBP and one each occurred outside Citi Bank and Sindh Bank. One blast occurred at a railway track near Mirpur Mathelo. Blasts were also reported from Hyderabad, Sukkur, Dadu, Badin, Nawabshah, Ranipur, Dokri and Larkana.
“There were four blasts in Hyderabad at Latifabad, Qasimabad, Gul Centre and Main Market and NBP was targeted,” Hyderabad Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Aijaz Bhatti told Pakistan Today.
Larkana District Police Officer (DPO) Aitzaz Ahsan Koraya said two blasts occurred at Baqrani Road and VIP road and Citi Bank and NBP were targeted. Sukkur SSP Pir Muhammad Shah said a cracker blast was reported at NBP Main Branch in Sukkur. Kairpur SSP Irfan said the terrorists hurled a hand grenade at a NBP branch at National Highway in Ranipur, damaging it partially. Another NBP branch was targeted in Nawabshah in the jurisdiction of A-Section police station.
A-Section Police SHO Awais Mangrio said an NBP branch situated at Sakrand Road was targeted. A cracker blast was reported outside NBP in Dadu in jurisdiction of K N Shah police station. An NBP branch was hit by cracker blast in remits of Badin City police station. Another NBP branch was targeted in Dokri. A Sindh Bank branch was targeted in Kotri. Kotri police station SHO Insp Munim said terrorists had targeted Sindh Bank branch at Amir Plaza.
All the blasts took place within one hour from 5:30 to 6:30pm. Sindhu Desh Liberation Army (SDLA), a group of Sindhi separatists, claimed responsibility of the blasts.
The police have found pamphlets from blasts sites in which SDLA commander Darya Khan has requested the Sindhis to start an armed struggle for Sindh as an independent state like Balochistan. Khan also drew attention to the discrimination being meted out the Sindhis by the central government. Taking the Baloch as their role model, the SDLA has lauded their efforts in getting world’s recognition and tried to convince the Sindhis, who, according to Khan, have been deprived of their rights by the centre for decades, and could get worldwide recognition through an armed struggle like the Baloch.
In the pamphlet, the SDLA chief commander has assured the citizens of Sindh that his movement will also launch an armed struggle like the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) for making Sindh an independent state. Khan claimed that the centre was exploiting the natural resources of Sindh against a very low royalty to facilitate Punjab.
Terming the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) as ‘opportunists’, the SDLA blamed the party for using the Sindh card for attaining power, trying to impress upon the nationalists that Sindh was the country’s most poor province. In the pamphlet, the SDLA has requested the Sindhis to stand up against the government, Pakistan Army and Inter-Services Intelligence.