World Sindhi Congress protests at UN, demands action on human rights violations in Sindh

Sindhi political activists were joined by Baloch, Pashtun and other human rights defenders to protest against Pakistan's targeting of Sindhi activists, exploitation of natural resources and atrocities against Sindhi Hindus.

The purpose of this protest was to inform the United Nations and the international community about the human rights violations being committed by the Pakistani state against the Sindhi people.

Concerns include enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings of Sindhi political activists, ethnic cleansing of Sindhi Hindus, land grabs by the Pakistani military and its allies, theft of Indus River water by Punjab and suppression of Sindhi voices on historical, political and human rights issues. include repression. ,

Speakers highlighted the murder of Shah Nawaz Kunbar, who was falsely accused of blasphemy by the police even though he claimed innocence. After his death, religious extremists desecrated his body.

The meeting also discussed the issue of kidnapping of Sindhi Hindu girl Priya Kumari, who has been missing for three years despite the authorities accepting the case.

World Sindhi Congress UK and Europe organizer Hidayat Bhutto said, “Today we held this protest in front of the United Nations to highlight the atrocities and brutality being committed against us. Human rights activist Shah Nawaz Kumbhar was arrested by the police on charges of blasphemy and murdered. After his murder, his body was snatched from his relatives and an attempt was made to burn it. After this, some Maulvis went to the police and garlanded them for this crime. The local MNA was also involved in this crime.”

Bhutto also talked about the kidnapping and forced conversion of Sindhi Hindu girls. “A young girl, Priya Kumari, has been kidnapped. Every year thousands of minor girls are forcibly converted. Our Sindhi Hindu brothers are facing barbarity.”

General Secretary of World Sindhi Congress Prof. “We are holding this protest to tell the United Nations and the international community about the crimes against humanity that Pakistan is committing in Sindh as well as against our fellow Baloch and Pashtun nations,” Lakhu Luhana said. , They are literally taking everything away from us. They are destroying our motherland, our people, our culture and our harmony. We need the intervention of the United Nations and the international community to save us.

The gathering demanded a ban on allotment of land to the army, a ban on construction of canals on the Indus River, a ban on enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, and justice for those guilty of these crimes.

The demands include formation of a judicial commission to investigate the murder of Shah Nawaz Kumbhar, justice to Hidayat Lohar and Nasrullah Gadani who were extrajudicially killed, release of all missing persons or produce them in court and the release of Priya Kumari.

Speakers emphasized that these human rights abuses occur openly, leaving victims with no access to justice. He urged the United Nations and the international community to establish a fact-finding mission to investigate the atrocities and take effective action to protect the Sindhi people from further suffering.