Ethnic groups, minorities facing human rights violations in Pakistan: Altaf Hussain

Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) founder and leader Altaf Hussain said that it's now widely known that all forms of terrorism and religious extremism are born in Pakistan. He stated that all ethnic linguistic groups and religious minorities, for decades, have been facing gross human rights violations in the whole country, much like Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Speaking at a conference organised by the Jammu Kashmir International People's Alliance (JKIPA) in Brussels, Hussain urged the European Parliament to raise voice against this situation.

Different political leaders, writers and civil society activists of human rights defenders attended the conference, which was organised in honour of Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, human rights activists and journalists to deal with the grave situation of terrorism, extremism, human rights violations and hatred in the South Asian country.

Hussain said that these issues not only affect the people in South Asia but its implications spread across the globe. He said that we live in a world where we fear terrorism linked to religious extremism.

Hussain said that in Pakistan, whoever speaks against terrorism, state policies or religious fanaticism, they are silenced.

"I have a following of over 70 million Mohajirs, who live in Pakistan. When I exposed the deep state of Pakistan's ideology of causing havoc worldwide, I was not allowed to speak to my millions of followers," he stated.

Hussain said that during the military operation against the MQM, 22000 of its workers and Mohajirs have been killed, hundreds are still missing and thousands languishing are in prisons.

He added, "My followers have suffered. They have broken my party into pieces but were not able to break me. I stand firm with my people until my last breath."

Hussain went on to add that the people of Kashmir have been facing injustices since the inception of Pakistan despite United Nations passing resolution after resolution.

Hussain said that Baloch and Pashtun people have also suffered tremendously. "A peace-loving nation was shaken when their very own military officers tried to silence the people when they asked about their due rights, resulting in the same brutalities we all have been facing. Likewise, the minorities, Christians, Ahmadis, and Hindus all suffer at the hands of the same brute forces," he said.

He shared that the European Union members have afforded Pakistan with many facilities, but questioned them, saying, "were you aware that they are all afforded to them to adhere to strict measures, one of them being not to violate the human rights of its citizens?"

He said the Pakistani government denies wrongdoing, hence the oppressed need to unite and raise the voice, so that Pakistan is held accountable for its gross human rights violations.

Hussain further urged the EU members of Parliament and participants at the conference to "stand united for our fundamental democratic rights, for freedom of expression, for freedom of thought belief, for freedom of association and religion."

"But it is imperative that we unite. We unite to take concrete measures to expose this deep state, once we apply this pressure collectively across the world I am sure that we will defeat this enemy, and our due rights will be given to us. We should not beg for what is ours, but we should speak one voice across the globe," he said.

Hussain ended his remarks stating that he will "never remain silent."

"I will raise my voice for all the oppressed minorities and nations in Pakistan and outside of Pakistan," he said.