Sindhi Foundation Director pushes for Sindh independence at UN, seeks referendum

Executive Director of the Sindhi Foundation, Sufi Laghari, in his address to the 57th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva presented the case for Sindh’s independence from Pakistan.

Laghari outlined the region’s historical background, stating, “Historically, Sindh has remained an independent state. However, in 1843, Sindh lost a war against the East India Company and became part of the British Empire. In 1947, Sindh joined Pakistan under the agreement of the 1940 resolution.”

He argued that none of the articles of the 1940 resolution have been honored and asserted that Sindh has been treated as an occupied territory by the Pakistani Army.

In his remarks during the council meeting, Laghari highlighted human rights violations endured by the Sindhi people since Pakistan’s creation. These include the use of blasphemy laws as a pretext for killing Sindhis, citing the recent murder of Shah Nawaz Kunbhar.

He also spoke about the displacement of half the Sindhi population, the disappearance of over 1,000 Sindhi activists, and the diversion of the province’s water resources through the construction of upstream dams and canals.

Laghari further accused the Pakistani Army of occupying valuable land under the guise of corporate farming, cantonments, and mining projects. He criticised the appointment of government representatives in Sindh who do not reflect the will of the Sindhi people and raised concerns about the marginalisation of the Sindhi language in education, government, and media.

Additionally, Laghari claimed at the human rights council that the 2023 census was manipulated to show a majority of Urdu-speaking residents in Karachi, Sindh’s capital, as a means to justify dividing the province.

He concluded his speech by calling for an independence referendum for Sindh, emphasising the need for all Sindhis globally to have the right to vote in this referendum.