WSC Appeal to UN for an Independent Enquiry to Investigate the
Murders and Disappearances of Sindhi Political activists
LONDON, NOVEMBER 10, 2011, World Sindhi
Congress (WSC) participated and took floor in a
meeting with Committee on Enforced
Disappearances by Office of High Commissioner for
Human Rights (OHCHR) at United Nations, held on
10th November, 2011 in Geneva. Dr. Rubina
Greenwood, Vice Chairperson of WSC presented a
statement on recently killed and disappeared Sindhi
political activists.
In her statement she informed OHCHR that
Pakistani military and other security agencies have
been actively engaged in hundreds of forced
disappearances and targeted killings of political
activists and ordinary peace loving people of Sindh
and Blochistan. Media sources in Sindh have reported the official count of missing people
who were picked up by the various security agencies is to be close to 175.
Dr. Greenwood reported that more than 45 Sindhi political activists belonging to
various students’, labors’ and other political organizations have disappeared in recent years.
Amongst them are Mr. Muzaffar Bhutto, Mr Noor Muhammed Khaskheli, Mr Shahid Notayar,
Lala Yasser, Shoukat Brohi, Faisal Wagan, Riaz Kakepoto, Shah Nawaz Bhutto, Jam
Bhutto, Yasir Notiar, Ali Nawab Mahar, Zulfiqar Jamali, Hameed Shar are some of the
prominent names. She also said that number of ordinary law abiding Sindhis who belong to
Shah Bandir and Jati areas (border villages to India) have been illegally captured by
Pakistani Intelligence Service too. Among those who are also abducted include Ali Bachal
Themor, Ghulam Kadir Boryio, Taj Mohammed Themor and Mohammed Boryio to name a
few.
Recent appeals made by Asian Human Rights Commission which was issued on 11th
October 2011 with names of students who were taken by Pakistani Agencies from Sindh
University including Afzal Pahnwar, Sanaullah Bhatti and Mukhtiar Pahnwar was presented
as a supporting document to OHCHR by Dr. Greenwood.
Saima Butto and his daughter displaying the
photo of Mr Muzafar Bhutto who was
abducted by Pakistan security agencies
(Courtesy BBC).
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“As recently as in last two weeks i.e. 6th November and 29th October 2011 five
prominent political activists including Mohammed Brohi, Nadeem Lashari, G M Abro, Noor
Abro and Anwar Depar were arrested and their whereabouts are unknown since then,” said
Dr. Greenwood in her statement.
Pakistani security agencies and Sindh Police regularly engages in the murder and
killing of political activists. She said that from February to April 2011 a number of prominent
political leaders and activists have been killed including Zulfiqar Kolachi, Aijaz Solangi, Sirai
Qurban Khuhawr, Roplo Choliani and Nadir Bugti and Noorullah Tunio. She also reported
the murders of two active leaders of Pakistan Fisher folk Forum (PFF): Haji Abubakar and
Abdul Ganai Mirbahar in May 2011.
She said that this callousness of Pakistani security services completely ignores the
commitments Pakistan made just last year when it signed the UN International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights in which Article One very clearly states, “All peoples have the right
to the self-determination.”
Rubina appealed to the OHCHR Committee on Forced Disappearance to put
pressure on the Pakistani government to set up an independent investigation of the recent
killings and disappearances of political activists and ordinary Sindhis in line with Pakistan’s
commitments to the UN Treaties addressing freedom of speech and association.
In an email message, Dr Hidayat Bhutto, the Chairperson of the WSC said, “It is
important for International Community to know about the Pakistan’s atrocities towards
progressive and secular human rights and democracy workers.”
WSC regularly attends UN events where it comments on the human rights situations
in Sindh and other parts of Pakistan.
About The World Sindhi Congress (WSC): WSC is based in the UK, USA, Canada, and
Sindh and is one of the most prominent human rights advocacy organizations for Sindh and
Sindhis. The main objective of WSC is to create a better understanding within the
international community about the persecuted status of Sindhis in Pakistan and about the
Sindhi people’s struggle for human rights, including the right to self determination. WSC is a
registered company in the UK and the USA, and is organized to carry out non-profit
activities. For more information, visit www.worldsindhicong ress.org
Sindhi Political Leaders Killed in 2011- Ruplo Choliyani and Sirai Qurban
Khuhawar.