WSC raises issue of human rights violation of Sindhi people in UN

The World Sindhi Congress (WSC) on Wednesday raised the issue of human rights violations against the people of Sindh Province by Pakistan establishment at the 37th Session of United Nations Human Rights Council's (UNHRC) general debate in Geneva.

WSC activist Dr Hidayat Bhutto said that he wanted to inform the Council about the gross human rights violations against Sindhi people committed by the state and security establishment of Pakistan.

"The Pakistani establishment is ruthlessly crushing any voice and struggle of Sindhi people against the unsustainable, anti-environment and anti-people project, China-Pakistan-Economic-Corridor (CPEC)," Dr Bhutto said.

"In 2017 alone, hundreds of Sindhi political activists and journalists were abducted by Pakistan's security agencies, including Hidayat Lohar, Khadim Areejo, Inam Abassi, Khaleeq Hakro, Raza Jarwar, Sabir Chandio, Deedar Amrat and Nangar Chana," he added.

Dr Bhutto further highlighted that the Pakistani state is carrying out atrocities in Sindh through systematic immigration with designs to convert Sindhis into a minority in their motherland, adding, "Cruel loot of resources and occupation of lands of Sindhi people pushing them into perpetual poverty, malnutrition, social injustice, and disease."

The Sindhi activist also accused Pakistan of carrying out systematic efforts to spread religious fundamentalism and violence against Sindhi Hindus to coerce them to leave and to counter national movement.

"May we request the Council to press upon Pakistan to stop atrocities against Sindhi people and ask them to stop forced implementation of CPEC project, to release all the disappeared Sindhi political activists, stop violence against religious minorities and to investigate the cases of human rights abuses," Dr Bhutto said.