Plight of Mohajirs in Pak raised at UNHRC

The International Institute for Mohajirs on the sidelines of the 33rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, highlighted the plight of Mohajirs in Pakistan and how the Pakistani government continues to ostracize the community in the country.

Highlighting the human rights situation in Pakistan and problems being faced by the Mohajirs there, Mohammad Khan, a human rights activist from Karachi, said that the Pakistan government continued to ostracize the Mohajirs and through various laws, ensure that members of the community continued to remain 'outsiders' in the country that they had chosen to adopt after the formation of Pakistan in 1947.

Khan appealed before the UN to pressurize Islamabad to improve the situation of Mohajirs in the country.

Maintaining that despite the contributions of Mohajirs to Pakistani culture and society, Arbaz Khan, President, European Mohajir Network said that the Mojahir community was discriminated against and their rights regularly violated.

He also accused the Pakistan government of sponsoring intolerance and hatred against the Mojahirs and deploying various forms of discrimination against them.

Arbaz Khan insisted that Mohajirs were peace loving people and only wanted to be recognised for their contributions and be provided with security, honour and employment.

Meanwhile, Ryszard Czarnecki, Vice President European Parliament insisted that though the issue of the Mohajirs had not been raised in the European Parliament, it was a serious human rights issue in Pakistan and the time was right for the European Union to take note of this problem.

The conference was held on September 23.

Mohajirs are the Muslim immigrants who migrated from regions of India after the partition from British rule in 1947 and settled in the newly formed state of Pakistan.