The Unbroken Voice
Inam remains an enduring symbol of Sindh's unyielding fight for dignity, justice, and fundamental rights
By Nasir Aijaz
The AsiaN Representative
ISLAMABAD: In the turbulent landscape of human rights advocacy in Sindh, the southern province of Pakistan, few names resonate with as much defiant resilience as Inam Abassi, famously known to the public as Sindhi Inam.
A writer, editor, and publisher by profession, Abassi has long been raising voice against injustice. Through his monthly magazine, Nao Niyapo (The New Message), he continued advocating for the social, economic, cultural, and political rights of Sindh and its people.
But in a climate where truth is treated as a liability, Abassi’s literary defiance came at a brutal cost. About half a decade ago, Abassi vanished all of sudden, being picked up by the state’s spy agencies. He became another statistic among the country’s hundreds of “missing persons,” kept confined in chains at undisclosed locations for an agonizing year.
When no allegations could be proven against him, he was finally released. During this period, his body was confined, but his spirit entirely unbroken.
Instead of retreating into quiet compliance, Abassi doubled down on his mission. He revived his publishing work and took his resistance to the streets, launching a grueling, daily token hunger strike outside the Karachi Press Club that lasted for months. He became a beacon for the voiceless.
When an innocent life was taken by state actors, Abassi organized a massive long march in protest. For this, the state retaliated again, throwing him back behind bars.
Even after his subsequent release, when he tried to rebuild his livelihood through his bookstore, Abassi refused to look away from suffering. Every Sunday, without fail, he could be found outside the Karachi Press Club, continuing his token hunger strike.
His commitment to humanity ultimately led to his arrest in Moro, early last year. His crime? Standing in solidarity with terrorized communities, whose homes had been torched and whose male family members had been ruthlessly murdered, allegedly on the orders of a provincial minister. That act of empathy cost him another year of his life in prison.
Recently, Abassi was released under suffocating conditions, required to report to his local police station on a daily basis. Yet, his first instinct was to return to the press.
Just over a week ago, he vibrantly announced plans to re-launch Nao Niyapo, rallying writers and intellectuals to contribute to its maiden revival issue. Inam also rang me to write for his magazine.
But the ink had barely dried on those new contributions when the state struck again. Just two days after reaching out to collaborating writers, Inam was once more swept up by the police.
It was only through the relentless pressure of social media campaigns and a direct court order that the authorities were forced to acknowledge his custody. On Saturday, May 30, 2026, Inam Abassi was finally produced in court, handcuffed, but unbowed.
Inam Abassi’s journey is a sobering reminder of the perils faced by those who dare to speak truth to power. His constant cycle of arrests, hunger strikes, and releases paints the picture of a man who refuses to be broken by the weight of state intimidation.
As Nao Niyapo struggles to find its breath among constant crackdowns, Sindhi Inam remains an enduring symbol of Sindh’s unyielding fight for dignity, justice, and fundamental rights.
