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

The World Sindhi Congress (WSC) on Wednesday organised a protest in front of the United Nations Office at Geneva during the 57th Human Rights Council session to draw attention to human rights violations in Sindh.

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

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

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

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

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

Hidayat Bhutto, organiser of World Sindhi Congress UK and Europe, 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 killed. After his/her murder, his/her body was snatched from his/her relatives and an attempt was made to burn it. After this, some clerics went to the police and garlanded them for this crime. The local MNA was also involved in this crime.”

Bhutto also spoke 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 barbarism.”

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

The gathering demanded a ban on allotment of land to the military, a halt to the 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 included formation of a judicial commission to investigate the murder of Shah Nawaz Kumbhar, justice for Hidayat Lohar and Nasrullah Gadani who were killed extrajudicially, release of all missing persons or their production in court and release of Priya Kumari.

The speakers stressed that these atrocities on human rights occur with impunity, leaving the victims with no recourse to justice. They urged the United Nations and the international community to establish a fact-finding mission to investigate the atrocities and take effective action to save the Sindhi people from further suffering.