World Sindhi Congress protests at UN, demands action on human rights violations in Sindh

The World Sindhi Congress (WSC) organised a protest on Wednesday in front of the UN office in Geneva during the 57th Human Rights Council Session to draw attention to human rights violations in Sindh.

Sindhi political activists were joined by Baloch, Pashtun, and other human rights defenders as they protested against Pakistan’s targeting of Sindhi activists, exploitation of natural resources, and atrocities committed against Sindhi Hindus.

The protest aimed to inform the UN and the international community about the ongoing human rights violations inflicted upon the Sindhi people by the Pakistani state.

Concerns included enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings of Sindhi political activists, ethnic cleansing of Sindhi Hindus, land grabs by the Pakistan army and their associates, theft of River Indus waters by Punjab, and the suppression of Sindhi voices on historical, political, and human rights issues.

Speakers highlighted the murder of Shah Nawaz Kumbhar by the police under false blasphemy charges, despite his pleas of innocence. After his death, his body was desecrated by religious extremists.

The assembly also addressed the abduction of Sindhi Hindu girl Priya Kumari, who has been missing for three years despite authorities acknowledging her case.

Hidayat Bhutto, the organizer of the World Sindhi Congress UK and Europe, stated, “Today we staged this protest in front of the United Nations to highlight the oppression and barbarism that is happening against us. A human rights activist, Shah Nawaz Kumbhar, was arrested and killed by the police under blasphemy charges. After his murder, there was an attempt to burn his body, taking it away from his relatives. Following this, some clerics went to the police and adorned them with garlands and flowers for committing this crime. The local MNA was also involved in this crime.”

Bhutto also spoke about the abduction and forced conversion of Sindhi Hindu girls. “A young girl, Priya Kumari, has been kidnapped. Every year, thousands of underage girls are forcefully converted. Our Sindhi Hindu brothers are facing barbarity.”

Prof. Lakhu Luhana, General Secretary of the World Sindhi Congress, added, “We are holding this protest to inform the UN and the international community about the crimes against humanity that Pakistan is committing in Sindh, as well as against our fellow Baloch and Pashtun nations. They are literally taking everything we have. They are destroying our motherland, our people, our culture, and our harmony. We need the UN and the international community to intervene to save us.”

The assembly called for a ban on land allotments to the army, a halt to further canals on the River Indus, an end to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, and justice for the perpetrators of these crimes.

Demands also included the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the murder of Shah Nawaz Kumbhar, justice for the extrajudicially murdered Hidayat Lohar and Nasrullah Gadani, the release of all missing persons or their production in a court of law, and the release of Priya Kumari.

Speakers underscored that these human rights atrocities occur with impunity, leaving victims with no recourse to justice. They urged the UN and the international community to establish a Fact-Finding Mission to investigate the atrocities and take effective action to protect the Sindhi people from further suffering.