Members of the World Sindhi Congress demonstrate against Pakistan’s human rights abuses outside the UK prime minister’s home.
The World Sindhi Congress members recently assembled outside the UK Prime Minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street to protest against human rights violations in Pakistan.
The protest was attended by Sindhis around the UK and human rights defenders from Balochistan and other marginalised communities.
The speakers condemned the worsening situation of human rights and environmental justice in Sindh.
The assembly criticized the decision of Pakistan to construct six canals on River Indus as the project poses an existential threat to millions of Sindhis who already suffer from water scarcity under the 1991 Water Accord.
Diverting water for the Cholistan region will further devastate Sindh’s agricultural base and exacerbate the environmental degradation of the Indus Delta.
The assembly strongly condemned the ongoing extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances of Sindhi political activists by Pakistan agencies.
“In October 2024 alone, three young Sindhi men—Sajan Malookani, Sarmad Bhayo, and Wanish Kumar—were extrajudicially killed, and six others were forcibly abducted by Pakistani agencies,” the group said in an X post.
The speakers said that the brutal murder of Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar under fabricated blasphemy charges is a dark reminder of the systematic violent extremism sponsored by the state.
The dreadful role of Pir Umar Jan Sarhindi in the murder was highlighted and condemned.
The assembly condemned the violent attack on Sindh Rawadari (tolerance) March in response to the murder of Dr Kunbhar to demonstrate Sindhi values of tolerance and secularism.
However, the state responded with violence, arresting, dragging, and humiliating participants, including young women and intellectuals.
The speakers also demanded release of 7-year Priya Kumari abducted more than 3 years ago
At the end a petition was submitted at the 10 Downing Street to the British Prime Minster requesting his intervention to stop the human rights atrocities against Sindhi people in Pakistan.
The letter requested to send a fact-finding mission to Pakistan to investigate the worsening human rights violations of Sindhi and Baloch people.
The Prime Minster was pleaded to press upon Pakistan to stop the human rights violations against Sindhi people and revoke the controversial Blasphemy Act. The petition also requested not to provide any aid to Pakistan until it complies with the UN Charter of Human Rights.
The World Sindhi Congress (WSC) is a renowned human rights advocacy organization for Sindh and Sindhis, with branches in the UK, USA, Canada, and Sindh.
WSC said it is committed to creating greater awareness within the international community regarding the persecuted status of Sindhis in Pakistan and their struggle for human rights, including the right to self-determination.
