Moro violence: Police register FIRs, make arrests

KARACHI: Following a violent protest that erupted in Moro, Naushehro Feroze district, on May 20, 2025, police have reportedly registered at least 13 FIRs against local residents, triggering concerns of human rights violations and political victimization.

The protest, which was against the construction of canals on river Indus and corporate forming, held by activists allegedly affiliated with a nationalist group Jeay Sindh Mutihida Mahaz (JSMM), turned violent when demonstrators clashed with police and later set fire to the house of Sindh’s provincial Home Minister Zia Lanjar. The incident also resulted in the death of two protesters, sparking public outrage and calls for an impartial investigation.

In the aftermath, local residents claim they are facing collective punishment. Several villagers alleged that shops and houses belonging to members of the Laghari community were demolished by the police without any legal justification. Eyewitnesses say the demolitions were carried out under heavy police supervision and without prior notices or court orders. (Villagers provided pictures, videos of demolished properties to The News.)

Adding to the controversy, three young men from the same Laghari community Bakhshal Laghari, Shahbaz Laghari and Dilshad Laghari have reportedly been arrested by the Shikarpur police, and three separate narcotics cases have been filed against each of them — a move the villagers believe is part of a deliberate attempt to implicate them in false criminal cases and suppress dissent. “We are being punished for belonging to a specific community,” a local elder told The News on condition of anonymity. “The government should answer for the deaths during the protest, not harass innocent villagers.”

Local residents and community representatives have submitted petitions and appeals to the Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court, Sindh Home Minister, the Inspector General of Sindh Police, and leading national and international human rights organizations, urging them to take immediate notice of the situation. They are demanding the formation of an independent judicial commission to investigate both the protest killings and the alleged retaliatory actions by law enforcement agencies.

In solidarity, the legal fraternity the Sindhu Indus Lawyers Forum announced a ‘lawyers convention’ at Karachi on June 25, 2025. Organizer of the convention senior lawyer Advocate Aaquib Rajpar said that their demand is for judicial inquiry of the Moro incident of May 20, state oppression and police’s brutalities.

Legal experts Advocate Inderjeet Lohano, Zulifqar Thebo and others say that these heavy-handed responses constitute violation of constitutional rights. Human rights defenders Advocate Noor Tunio, Karachi Bar Association treasurer Advocate Haseeb Panhwar and Advocate Rasheed Rajar have expressed serious concern over the ‘reprisal’.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Naushero Feroze Bashir Birohi told The News that the cases (FIRs) are not against any community. Those FIRS were registered against the violent protestors who attacked police, injured eight officials, snatched weapons, looted and torched vehicles and set ablaze Home Minister’s House. SSP Birohi added that the violent perpetrators are from different communities. Secondly there is no siege of Laghari village, neither any shop or house demolished by Police, any media person could visit the area to witness the situation.

SSP Birohi concluded that the perpetrators are playing victim and trying to use media and build pressure on Police. Police investigation is in progress and most of the accused were identified through footages and eyewitnesses. Police will certainly take legal action against the accused involved in violent riots.