New York, Several dozens activists gathered here in NY to protest over the General Musharaf’s policies against the women and Indigenous Peoples of Sindh and Balochistan. General Musharaf, is here in the US to address the United Nations General Assembly.
This rally was organized by The Asian-American Network Against the Abuse of Human Rights (ANAA) in collaboration with the Amnesty International NYC Women’s Action Team, Equality Now, Human Rights Watch, The Sindhi Association of North America (SANA), Coney Island Avenue Project, the Voices of Pakistan, the World Sindhi Congress, World Sindhi Institute.
Attendees made speeches, hold placards and banners and distributed flyers informing people about the Pakistan Governments continued human rights violation. The organizations claim that the Pakistani government has not heeded calls by domestic or international agencies to reform its discriminatory policies by failing to provide basic legal protections for its citizens, especially women.
The protestors also hold the Pakistani government responsible for the harassment, beatings, and even murder, of human rights defenders, activists, and journalists in Sindh and Balochistan. The recent assassination of Nawab Akbar Bugti, and indigenous Baloch leader is just one more example of what many activists declare is an oppressive military regime. Several Sindh leaders namely Dr Safdar Sarki, a US citizen and many others have been kidnapped by Pakistani military.
In his statement Mr Aziz Narejo, the President of Sindhi Association of North America wrote, “Military rule in Pakistan is the most deadly and deleterious insult to the 165 million citizens of the country. It is not only an affront to the will and the intelligence of the people, it has also stymied the process of the natural evolution, progress and development in the country and created an unhealthy and moribund society.
It is disappointing to see that the successive military regimes have established a support base in the country among the bureaucrats, feudal, industrialists, businessmen and other opportunist and undemocratic sections in the civil society.
It is even more disappointing to see that the political leadership has utterly failed to put together a worthy opposition to the military regime, leave alone launching a movement to dislodge the praetorian masters. With this timid opposition, it is generally believed that the military establishment would continue to rule the roost as long as it wished or until everything crumbled as a result of gross injustices to the people and the provinces.
Friends, this is the time to take a stand, to take a stand for justice and democracy. We have to call upon the administration and people in USA, that it is not only the Afghans or the Iraqis that need a democracy.
People in Pakistan deserve democracy and a better deal too.
We also have to impress upon the people here that the fight against terrorism can only be carried effectively by democratic forces. The dictatorial regimes create and support terrorists. They are just incapable of fighting terrorism.”