World Sindhi Congress Protests at UN for Human Rights in Sindh
The World Sindhi Congress (WSC) organized a protest in front of the UN office in Geneva during the 57th Human Rights Council Session. The protest aimed to draw attention to human rights violations in Sindh, Pakistan.
Key Issues Highlighted
Sindhi political activists, along with Baloch, Pashtun, and other human rights defenders, protested against Pakistan’s targeting of Sindhi activists, exploitation of natural resources, and atrocities committed against Sindhi Hindus. Concerns included:
- Enforced disappearances
- Extrajudicial killings of Sindhi political activists
- Ethnic cleansing of Sindhi Hindus
- Land grabs by the Pakistan army
- Theft of River Indus waters by Punjab
- Suppression of Sindhi voices on historical, political, and human rights issues
Speakers’ Statements
Hidayat Bhutto, the organizer of the World Sindhi Congress UK and Europe, stated, “Today we staged this protest in front of the United Nations to highlight the oppression and barbarism that is happening against us.” He mentioned the murder of Shah Nawaz Kumbhar under false blasphemy charges and the abduction of Sindhi Hindu girl Priya Kumari.
Prof. Lakhu Luhana, General Secretary of the World Sindhi Congress, added, “We are holding this protest to inform the UN and the international community about the crimes against humanity that Pakistan is committing in Sindh.”
Demands and Calls for Action
The assembly called for:
- A ban on land allotments to the army
- A halt to further canals on the River Indus
- An end to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings
- Justice for the perpetrators of these crimes
- The formation of a judicial commission to investigate the murder of Shah Nawaz Kumbhar
- The release of all missing persons or their production in a court of law
- The release of Priya Kumari
Speakers urged the UN 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.
Doubts Revealed
World Sindhi Congress -: The World Sindhi Congress (WSC) is a group that works to protect the rights of Sindhi people, who are from a region called Sindh in Pakistan.
UN -: The UN stands for the United Nations, an organization where countries come together to solve global problems like peace and human rights.
Geneva -: Geneva is a city in Switzerland where many important international meetings, like those of the UN, take place.
57th Human Rights Council Session -: This is a meeting held by the UN where countries discuss and try to solve human rights issues around the world. The 57th session means it is the 57th time they are having this meeting.
Human rights violations -: These are actions that go against basic rights and freedoms that every person should have, like the right to live safely and freely.
Enforced disappearances -: This means people are taken away secretly by the government or other groups, and their families don’t know where they are or if they are safe.
Extrajudicial killings -: These are killings done by the government or other groups without any legal process or trial.
Ethnic cleansing -: This is when a group tries to remove people of a certain ethnicity from an area, often using violence.
Sindhi Hindus -: Sindhi Hindus are people from Sindh who follow the Hindu religion.
International intervention -: This means other countries or international organizations get involved to help solve a problem.
Fact-Finding Mission -: This is a group sent to investigate and find out the truth about serious issues, like human rights violations.