Sindhi Foundation organises protest in London, demands safe return of kidnapped minor girls

Sindhi Foundation, a Washington-based human rights organisation, and the local Sindhi community on Friday held a long march from 10 Downing Street (the official residence of the British Prime Minister) to the Pakistan High Commission at Lowndes Square, demanding the return and recovery of Priya.

The Sindhi Foundation said in a press statement that a memorandum was submitted to the UK authorities after the march.

Reacting to the effort, the UK Prime Minister's Office praised the initiative for promoting human rights.

However, the same statement said that officials of the Pakistani High Commission flatly refused to accept the memorandum.

The aim of the march was to demand the return and recovery of Priya, as well as express concern over the forced conversion of Sindhi Hindu girls and women in Pakistan.

The march was mainly attended by members of the Sindhi community living in Britain and the US, the statement said.

Sufi Munawar Laghari, Executive Director of Sindhi Foundation, and Razia Sultana Junejo, prominent member of Sindhi Foundation, submitted a memorandum to the British Prime Minister.

The memorandum sent to the Prime Minister included information on atrocities committed against Sindhis in their native province Sindh, including the case of Priya Kumari.

He requested support from the British Prime Minister and urged him to demand immediate release of abducted minor Sindhi Hindu girls and raise voice to stop forced conversion of young Sindhi Hindu girls and women.

An official of the Prime Minister's Office, receiving the memorandum from Laghari and Junejo, praised them for their protection of human rights.

The protest march for the recovery of abducted Priya Kumari was also dedicated to Sindhi journalist Nasrullah Gadani.

The march passed through various streets of London and reached its culminating point at the Pakistan High Commission building.

Speaking to protesting members of the Sindhi community, Munawar Laghari said, “After occupying Sindh’s mountains, islands, waters, forests, agricultural lands, cities and villages, the Pakistani army has now turned its attention to the daughters of Sindh. They are being kidnapped and many of them are being forcibly converted.”

Laghari further said, “Pakistani machinery, including the highly politicised police, has failed miserably in recovering Pirya Kumari. We went to the gate of Pakistan High Commission to hand over the memorandum to a Pakistani official whom we met at the Pakistan High Commissioner's office but the official flatly refused to accept the memorandum.”