JSMM chairman calls for Sindh's freedom, slams Punjab's exploitation of resources

Berlin [Germany], April 28 (ANI): Shafi Burfat, Chairman of the Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), addressed the grievances of the Sindhi people in a video message, condemning what he described as the colonial exploitation of Sindh by Pakistan and Punjab. Framing his speech as a call to action for Sindh's national freedom, he highlighted a long-standing struggle against political coercion, economic exploitation, and the systemic looting of Sindh's resources.
Burfat's rhetoric was sharply critical of Punjab, accusing it of forcibly controlling Sindh's water resources through the diversion of the Sindhu River. He invoked a 1945 agreement where 75 percent of the river's water was allocated to Sindh. However, he claimed that since Pakistan's formation, Punjab had taken advantage of the situation, violating this agreement and slowly turning Sindh into barren land by draining its rivers. Burfat positioned the conflict as not just a matter of water, but of the survival of Sindh itself.
"Punjab turned the entire region into a colony, subjecting the people to political coercion, economic exploitation, looting, genocide, and the destruction of their civilisation. Languages were suppressed, and the people of Sindh, who oppose the Punjabi empire, are now protesting in full force. What is happening in Sindh today is a reflection of this struggle. I want to raise awareness globally that it is not only the water of the Sindhu River that we are fighting for, but also the river itself, which is the very identity of Sindh," said Shafi.
Burfat explicitly rejected the notion of a unified Pakistan, denouncing it as a forced and unnatural state. His words were a direct attack on the idea of Pakistan, equating it to an oppressive regime that had systematically robbed Sindh of its resources and dignity since 1947. Burfat called for a movement to free Sindh from this state, even threatening that if violence erupted in response to the protests, all routes leading from Sindh to Punjab would be shut down.
Shafi said, "On one hand, we are the most oppressed, shackled in the name of Pakistan, where the very existence of my nation is being systematically erased. My ancestral homeland, which is also called the true Sindhudesh in the Rigveda, is under threat. This is why our struggle is one for survival -- the survival of our people and our identity. I send a clear message to the people of Sindh: The National Movement of Sindh is at the forefront of this fight, and we will continue this struggle with unwavering determination."
In his concluding remarks, Burfat made it clear that the Sindhi people's struggle was for survival, not just for water, and warned that any further oppression would only lead to more resistance. His message was unequivocal: Sindh's fight was against Pakistan and Punjab, and the people of Sindh would not back down until their freedom was achieved. (ANI)