WORLD SINDHI CONGRESS
‘SINDH HOUSE’.
UN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Sub-commission on Prevention of
Discrimination and Protection
of Minorities
Working Group on Indigenous Peoples
Fourteenth session
29 July – 2 August 1996
Item 5: Review of developments pertaining to the promotion and protection of human
rights and fundamental freedom of indigenous people.
Statement bty Dr. Munawar A. Hafepota. Secretary General, World Sindhi Congress.
Madam Chairperson,
It is a great pleasure to meet the indigenous brothers and sisters, during this annua!
pilgrimage, and 1 extend greetings to ai! from the people of Sindh.
Sindh a land of peace and harmony covers an area of about 58,000 square miles,
extending northwards from the Indian Ocean and straddling the Indo-Pak border.
Watered by mighty Indus river, Sindh is rich with agriculture and natural resources
including oil, gas, coal, diamonds gold and uranium. Inhabited by approx. 45 million
Sindhis, descendants of the original inhabitants Dravidians, with their distinct culture
language and civilization i.e. Indus Civilization, considered to be about ten thousand
years old. and still surviving in the villages and towns of Sindh.
Now, the worlds oldest surviving civilization is under threat of extinction from terrorism,
cultural dilution, settlement of illegal immigrants, persecution by the establishment and
continuation of military operation “Operation Blue Fox” which has resulted in the
blatant violation of human rights including Rape. Torture and Death in Custody by the
security forccs. Thus has been reported by UN Human Rights Commission. Human Rights
Commission of” Pakistan, Amnesty International. Mr. Bacre Wally Ndiave, UN Special
Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Summary or Arbitrary Executions E/CN.4/S 994/7,
E/CN.4/I995/6I, Amnesty international Report Al INDEX: ASA 33/05/93, A1 INDEX:
ASA 33/01/95. Al INDEX: ISBN 0-86210-245-6. News Statement of 23 May 19%. and
Human Rights International Report HRI/SR/05/96.
The most notable among them being the torture and death in custody of Shaheed
M oh mined You.suf .Jakhnini. Senior Vice Chairman of World Sindhi Congress, eold
blooded murder bv ihe security forces often innocent villagers from Tando Bahawal. and
others including Mujeeb I laider Jatoi, Alt I lydcr Shah, Khadim and Sobho Indhar. Gulloo
Machee. Photo Kbaskhelli, Niaz Jatoi, Even the highest court in the family has failed to
provide the relief to the families and the culprits are at large, as the security forces are
granted legal immunity from prosecution for any crime committed in good faith as per
ihe Presidential Ordinance promulgated on 19th July 1992.
His Cxccllencv G M Syed, 92 years old father of Sindhi nation, died in custody on 25th
April 1995 G M Syed was detained for more tan 30 years since the creation of Pakistan
unti! his death for demanding the Right of Self Determination for Sindhi people as per
International Law, and was declared ‘Prisoner of Conscience’ by Amnesty International
and Human Rights International.
Rt. Hon Syed Imdad Mohammed Shah, s/’o His Excellency G M Syed and former Leader
of Opposition Sindh Assembly, was recently prevented from coming to Geneva to
participate in this session of the Working Group of Indigenous peoples, as leader of our
delegation. He was take off the plane by the security forces, and told that his name is in
the Exit Control List, e suffers from severe heart condition and was recently admitted to
hospital in Karachi. Even the high court has failed to provide him any relief, and
permission to travel abroad for medical treatment.
Recently on 29th June 1996, security forces raided the family home of His Excellency G
M Syed in Sann district Dad Sindh. Opening fire and injuring many innocent civilians
including women and children. Syed Jalal Shah, grandson of His Excellency G M Syed
was also wounded by the bullet and later treated in a hospital. According to the reports
entire town was sealed off by the security forces and the water supply was also cut off.
Thousands of people, including women and children carrying the holy book, pleaded
with the security forces to stop the raid and lift the blockade. The security forces
responded y opening fire and shelling tear gas on the peaceful procession, inuring ninety
six people and arresting more than 100 innocent civilians, some of whom are still
detained without trial.
Madam Chairperson, on my recent visit to Sindh to meet my family and friends, I was
arrested by the security forces and detained incommunicado at various places including
CIA Torture Center Hyderabad, FIA Safehouse Islamabad and Death Cell in Rawalpindi
Jail for more than a month in subhuman conditions. During this period 1 was denied any
medical and legal aid or visits from the lawyers family or friends. It was onlv after the
increasing pressure for my release by the international community and internally that I
was forcibly deported to UK on 4th January 1996. Now, I am told that I can not go back
to my land to meet my family and my people.
Rape and torture of women, by the security forces and police is common in Sindh. Last
year. a 16 year old girl kuki was raped by two army soldiers in broad day light in
Hyderabad, the second largest city of Sindh. The girl was admitted to hospital in
unconscious slate, so far no action has been taken against the culprits and the family is
denied any legal relief.
Recently nine young girls, aged I 3 to 16 of Baluch tribe, were kidnapped by the police in
Dadu. Their whereabouts are not known and the families have tried in vain to achieve
their release. We are extremely concerned about their safety and security and appeal to
the Government of Pakistan to ensure their safety and immediate release.
There is widespread violation of civil, political, cultural, social and economic rights as
highlighted in the UN document E/CN.4/1994/NGO/56. Emergency rule has been
declared in Sindh since more than 20 years, denying all constitutional and basic human
rights.
a) More than eight million acres of land has been forcibly taken from local Sindhis and
allocated to Military Generals and other outside settlers, forcing native Sindhis to
abandon their centuries old ancestral homes and villages. Recently more than 200 miles
of coastal land has been taken over by the defense forces, evicting local fishermen and
depriving more than 2000 families of their livelihood.
b) The natural resources of Sindh, including oil, gas and coal are being indiscriminately
exploited and taken away without due compensation to the local people,
c) Sindh is being deprived of its share of water from Indus River vital for agriculture, by
construction of dams upstream, severely affecting the agrarian rural economy and
resulting in the ecological disaster.
d) Widespread deforestation has further worsened the situation, as evidenced by the
recurrent flooding, extinction of many endangered species and damage to the wild life.
e) Sindhi medium schools are being closed down, so much so that their is not a single
Sindhi medium government school in Karachi, the capitol of Sindh.
f) The continuos settlement of outsiders has resulted in the disproportionate imbalance
of the population resulting in the increasing tension between the native Sindhi people and
the immigrants. The immigrants have further destroyed the native culture by bringing
heron and illegal weapons.
In the absence of any constitutional protection, Sindhis fee! that their cultural, social
economic, civil and political rights are being violated. Hence, Sindhis the indigenous
people of Sindh, demand the Right of Self Determination, as pr International
conventions.
In view of the continuing violation of human rights in Sindh, an impartial United Nations
fact-finding mission is essential and will be welcomed by the indigenous people of Sindh.
Immediate measures must be taken to ensure that Sindh & Sindhis continue to participate
in the peace, progress and stability of the region. Anything less puts the world’s oldest
surviving civilization at risk of extinction.
I appeal to the Indigenous brothers and sisters for their support in or peaceful struggle
against the neocolonisation and occupation of our land and massacre of our people.
Thank you again, Madam Chairperson.