Sindhi writer refuses to accept award in protest

KARACHI: Renowned Sindhi writer Taj Joyo, whose young son went missing three days back, has refused to accept the Presidential Pride of Performance award in protest. Taj Joyo, writer of many books and a well-known Sindhi writer, is among the 184 personalities who were nominated for civil awards in recognition of their services to the country and showing excellence in their respective fields. Joyo’s son and human rights activist Sarang Joyo, a research associate of Shaheed Zulifqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology’ (SZABIST), was actively campaigning for the release of missing persons of Sindh. He went missing on August 11 from his home located in Akhtar Colony, a lower-middle-class residency of metropolitan. According to a Cabinet Division press release, President Dr Arif Alvi on August 14 conferred Pakistan’s civil awards on 184 Pakistanis and foreigners. Among the civil awards conferred by the president on Independence Day included Nishan-e-Imtiaz, Hilal-e-Imtiaz, Hilal-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Sitarah-e-Pakistan, Sitarah-e-Shujaat and Sitarah-e-Imtiaz, Pride of Performance, Sitarah-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Sitarah-e-Khidmat, Tamgha-e-Pakistan, Tamgha-e-Shujaat, Tamgha-e-Imtiaz and Tamgha-e-Quaid-e-Azam. The investitures ceremony for the said awards would be held on March 23. Joyo was nominated in the category of literature from Sindh for the Pride of Performance award. Talking to The News, Joyo said after three days of disappearance of his young son, the announcement of his name for Pride of Performance was nothing but a cruel.

Joyo added that all the missing persons were his sons like Sarang and he was struggling for their release and would continue his struggle until the recovery of the last person.