WORLD SINDHI CONGRESS
UN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Sub-commission on Prevention of
Discrimination and Protection
of Minorities
Working Group on Indigenous Peoples
Sixteenth session
27-31 July 1998
Item 4: Review of developments pertaining to the promotion and protection of human
rights and fundamental freedom of indigenous people.
Statement by Dr. Munawar A. Halepota. Chairman. World Sindhi Congress.
Madam Chairperson,
May I take this opportunity to congratulate you on your election as Chairperson. It is a
great pleasure to meet the indigenous brothers and sisters, during this annual pilgrimage,
and I extend greetings to all from the people of Sindh.
Since we could not get the relevant document E/CN.4/Sub.2/AC.4/l998/2, as it was not
available yesterday, it becomes difficult to know what kind of developments we need to
review. Whether it is the review of the developments in the field of human rights,
technical & industrial developments or some other developments. As I know that the
education & language will be discussed in the next item, so I will try to review the rest of
the developments, which are equally important, so please persevere with me if you feel
that I am deviating from your specified course.
Madam Chairperson, the most significant development in our region has been the
‘Nuclear Explosion’ and the imposition of’Emergency Rule’ by Pakistan Government.
Couple of months ago the whole world was shaken by the nuclear explosions, we will
know about the long term effects of the fall out in due course of time, but the immediate
effect was the imposition of ‘Emergency Rule’ curtailing the Civil and Political Rights,
taking away the powers from the courts to hear important constitutional petitions.
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We fail to understand the logic of such tests, as the people are suffering in poverty, and
can not bear the additional burden of sanctions and economic tightening. This is
highlighted in the recent budget which allocates 22.47% for the Defence expenditure
and only 0.47% for Health and 0.14% for Education. I have seen young kids dying of
disease and hunger because their parents can not afford the medicines and food, and still
we go on to do nuclear explosions. Our schools, hospitals and roads need urgent repairs
and the people need medicines, food and jobs, rather than nuclear explosions. If anyone
tries to raise the voice against these developments, they are put in prison for anti-state
activities, and can not get the relief from the courts of law because of the imposition of
‘Emergency Rule’. I was lucky to get out from the country, as the government decided to
put my name on the ‘Exit Control List’ and was prevented from returning to UK for
three months, after attending the funeral services of my father who died earlier this year.
The other most significant development is the announcement by the Government of
Pakistan to build a huge dam called ‘Kala Bagh Dam’ inspite of strong opposition from
the indigenous nations ie. Sindhis, Baluchs and Pushtoons. The construction of the Kala
Bagh Dam violates the international ‘Indus Basin Treaty’ and would result in the
increasing water logging and salinity severely affecting the agrarian economy of Sindh.
Moreover, their is no evidence to suggest that there is any need for the construction of
such dam, as Pakistan is self sufficient in the energy needs. Alarmingly we have learned
that 31 other dams are planned on Indus River and these will result in catastrophe and
ecological disaster, threatening the wild life and permanent loss of endangered species
like Indus Salmon and Indus Dolphin..
Madam Chairperson, there is widespread violation of civil, political, cultural, social and
economic rights as highlighted in the UN document E/CN.4/1994/NGO/56:
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 defence 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 there is not a single
Sindhi medium government school in Karachi, the capitol of Sindh.
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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
heroin and illegal weapons.
In the absence of any constitutional protection, Sindhis feel that their cultural, social
economic, civil and political rights are being violated. Hence, Sindhis the indigenous
people of Sindh, demand the Right to Self Determination, as per International
Covenants and conventions.
I appeal to the indigenous brothers and sisters for their support in our peaceful struggle
against the neo-colonisation and occupation of our land and massacre of our people.
Thank you again, Madam Chairperson.