Um-e-Rubab Chandio case: Acquittal verdict slams justice, boasts feudal system in Sindh, says Naeemur Rehman

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Um-e-Rubab Chandio case: Acquittal verdict slams justice, boasts feudal system in Sindh, says Naeemur Rehman
Chandio thanks JI, says she shares JI cause; resistance to feudal system

KARACHI: APRIL 5: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman strongly criticised the recent court verdict acquitting the accused in the murder case of rights campaigner Um-e-Rubab Chandio’s family members, saying the decision had “dealt a blow to justice” and further strengthened the feudal order in Sindh.
Speaking to the media at Idara Noor-i-Haq after meeting Chandio, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said his party would stand by her “at every level” and continue its struggle against the entrenched feudal and wadera system in the province.
He said the acquittal of the accused despite what he described as “substantial evidence and testimony” had raised serious questions about the dispensation of justice. “This verdict is not just a legal matter; it reflects the influence that feudal elites continue to wield over institutions,” he said.
Naeemur Rehman alleged that Chandio had been receiving threats and claimed that those released by the court had openly violated Section 144 by resorting to celebratory firing. He warned that if any harm came to her, “the responsibility will lie squarely with those patronising the provincial government”.
He said the time had come to rein in the feudal lords and ensure basic rights for ordinary people in Sindh. Criticising the Pakistan Peoples Party, he said that the ruling party’s prolonged hold on power in the province had emboldened landlords and tribal elites.
Referring to the killings that took place eight years ago, the JI chief said Chandio’s father, grandfather and uncle were “brutally murdered” after raising their voice against the local feudal structure.
He added that speaking out against landlords in Sindh had become increasingly difficult because “oppressors enjoy the backing of major political forces”.
The JI chief also criticised the provincial government’s performance in education, saying that despite billions of rupees allocated in the budget, millions of children — particularly those of poor farmers and labourers — remained out of school.
He said as many as 2.8 million children in Sindh were still deprived of education, calling it a major indictment of the government’s priorities. He also pointed to the continued underdevelopment of Kandhkot, saying little had changed in the city over the past 26 years.
Speaking on the occasion, Chandio thanked the JI leadership for its support and said her struggle and that of the party were rooted in the same cause: resistance to the feudal and wadera system in Sindh.
She said her father had raised the banner of defiance against feudal oppression and that she was now carrying forward the same mission.
“The court’s decision has turned the innocent into the guilty and allowed the killers to walk free with honour,” she said, while expressing hope that the Sindh government would seek a review of the verdict and ensure that those responsible were eventually brought to justice.
Several JI leaders from Sindh and Karachi were also present during the meeting.