Thank you, UN, WGEID, and WSC Team, for following up the cases of the enforced disappearances of Sindhi activists by the Pakistani Government.
Please join me in thanking the entire WSC team for working consistently and tirelessly with the UN and its various bodies to draw attention to the cases of Sindhi Missing persons. These interactions led to a first-ever 14-page detailed “Joint Communication” from the eight UN Special Rapporteurs of different UN human rights bodies to formally inquiring about the enforced disappearances of Sindhi people from the Pakistani Government.
The UN Special Rapporteurs who have written this letter include:
- The Chair Rapporteur of the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances
- The Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions
- The Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression
- The Special Rapporteur on Situation of Human Rights Defenders
- The Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers
- The Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues
- The Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms While Countering Terrorism
- The Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
This Joint Communication, in many ways, is the international recognition of the issue of enforced disappearances in Sindh by the UN human rights bodies. The Joint Communication also confirms that enforced disappearances are a denial of one but numerous fundamental human rights of the victim. It is important to note that the term minority mentioned in the Communication is used in a national or ethnic minority.
The Joint Communication identifies the following areas of concern: - The continuing practice of enforced disappearances of Sindhi people
- Lack of investigations for the enforced disappearances
- Lack of criminalizing enforced disappearances in the legal system
- Ineffectiveness of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances
- Failure of the Government to take the adequate and prompt investigation
- Ineffectiveness of the judicial system to redress the victims
- Role of intelligence agencies and security forces, ISI, MI, IB, Rangers, and police
The Communication reiterates that these practices are in contravention of numerous conventions and articles of the UN and the UN Charter of the Human Rights. The Joint Communication at the end has raised multiple queries from the Pakistan government. It must fulfill the Government’s obligations under the UN charter and provide remedies to the victims of the enforced disappearance in Sindh and stop the practice.
Please click on this link to read the full report.
I want to pay my heartfelt tribute to the victims of enforced disappearances and their families for their sufferings and continued struggle. I hope that this endeavor from WSC may bring some ray of hope for them.
In solidarity
Dr. Rubina Shaikh
Chairwoman, World Sindhi Congress