Pak minority groups brief US Congressman over human rights abuses

A delegation of Mohajirs and representatives of Pashtun, Baloch and Hazara from Pakistan met Congressman Rob Wittman and apprised him about the alleged acts of ethnic prejudice and persecution by the government agencies against the members of minority communities.

The Virginia Congressman reaffirmed his support for victims of human rights abuses and assured the delegation that he would continue to raise these issues in Congress as well all other relevant forums, a media release by the Congressman said on Sunday.

The group, led by the Voice of Karachi and South Asia Minorities Alliance Foundation chairman Nadeem Nusrat, briefed Wittman about the alleged human rights violation, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, physical torture and arbitrary arrests against the minority communities.

Nusrat pointed out the devastating economic and social impact of highly discriminatory quota system in urban Sindh that has forced the majority urban population out of government jobs and admissions in public educational institutions since the 1970s.

"You could find people of Lahore and Rawalpindi and other cities in their local police. But you'd hardly find the citizens of Karachi, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas in the local police of the cities and the other law enforcement agencies," Nusrat alleged.

"Persistent and organised rigging in census and electoral constituencies have left the urban population disenfranchised. The urban majority is ruled by a fake rural population that treats urban areas as its colonies," he said.

Nusrat also shared with the Congressman details of Greater Karachi plans that the Voice of Karachi recently presented in its media briefing in the US capital.

Pashtun, Baloch and Hazara representatives also shared the details of human rights violations in their respective regions with Congressman Wittman. Participants of the meeting also handed over documents describing details of security forces' brutalities against various ethnic and religious groups in Pakistan, a media release said.

Wittman, who has served at many important Congressional committees, reaffirmed his support for victims of human rights abuses and assured the participants of the meeting that he will continue to raise these issues in Congress as well all other relevant forums, the media release said.