Pakistan’s crackdown fails as Sindhi activists defy repression

Jan 18, 2026

On the 122nd birth anniversary of Sain G. M. Syed, Sindhi activists gathered in Sann despite extensive security restrictions across Sindh. Highways were sealed, barricades erected, and activists detained as authorities attempted to stop convoys from reaching the town. Videos shared online showed police blocking roads and dispersing groups. Still, several convoys bypassed the restrictions and made it to Sann, where the gathering went ahead under heavy surveillance. At G.M. Syed’s mausoleum, participants paid tribute and described the event as a peaceful political assertion. Speakers said they were presenting the Sindhi people’s demand for self-determination before the United Nations and the global community. They rejected federal authority over Sindh, calling their political disengagement from Pakistan final, and urged international rights groups to take notice of arrests and alleged repression.