World Sindhi Congress protests against rights violations in Pakistan

The World Sindhi Congress has staged a protest here against human rights violations, especially against Hindus in Pakistan.

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The protest was organized in front of the United Nations (UN) office in Geneva.

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WSC activists gathered outside the Palace De Nations to ask the Pakistan Government to stop human rights violations and to support to banned religious outfits in Sindh Province. They sought to stop disappearances and torture of youths.

Their cause was supported by human rights activists from other regions of the country such as Kashmir and Balochistan.

"The religious extremism in Sindh is being systematically sponsored, supported and financed by Pakistani state establishment. They are supporting the religious outfits, which are banned by international community, which are banned by the United Nations. But they are freely moving, working and opening Madrasas (Islamic schools) in Sindh," said Lakhu Luhana, the chairman of the World Sindhi Congress.

The protesters claimed that the Hindu population in the province had dwindled to eight percent, and recalled that in 1947, it was nearly 30 percent.

"They are targeting Hindus in Sindh. The 10-year-old young girls, specially, are being raped, forcefully converted and are forced to marry," said a protester, Hidayat Bhutto.

A member of the Asian Human Rights Commission, Baseer Naveed, said Pakistan had become a killing field, leading to disappearances and extra-judicial killings that were seldom reported by media.

"The large scale disappearances are taking place there as it happened and is happening in Balochistan. The establishment doesn't want people to have independent thought, any freedom or somebody should fight for their rights. That is the reason disappearances and extra-judicial killings have become common there," said Naveed.

The protest took place on Friday during the 28th Session of Human Rights Council in Geneva.