World Sindhi Congress protests against enforced disappearances of activists in Pakistan's Sindh province

Geneva [Switzerland], Sept 21 (ANI): The World Sindhi Congress (WSC) held a protest at Broken Chair in front of United Nations in Geneva to highlight the issue of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and targeted killings of political activists in Pakistan's Sindh province.

Calling Pakistan a `terror state', the activists raised demand from the United Nations to provide justice to the oppressed Sindhi people.

As per WSC, there are estimated 20,000 new madrassahs in Sindh, mostly funded by foreign money and under the patronage of the government. They said Islamic militarism is increasing and Sindh has started seeing unprecedented violence against non-Muslim and non-Sunni sects of Muslims.

"We are protesting here as there is huge surge of disappearances in Sindh. Any activist who raise their voice for protection of Sindhi rights has been disappeared," Dr. Hidayat Bhutto, activist, World Sindhi Congress told ANI.

He accused Pakistani authorities of forcefully abducting activists in the region.

"We are peaceful and non violent people, raising our demands to release political activists in front of UN," Bhutto said, adding that Pakistan is a state which is supporting terrorism.

"Our protest is focussed on Enforced disappearance of Sindhi people. In recent months, there has been an unprecedented surge in the disappearances of Sindhi people and most them are political activists, journalists, civil society activists," said Lakhu Luhana, Secretary General, World Sindhi Congress.

He said Pakistani authorities don't want to listen to the democratic voices, who stand for the rights of Sindhi people.

He called on international community to help Sindhi people in their cause.

Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, Chairman, United Kashmir People's National Party, accused Pakistani authorities of brutally killing Baloch and Sindhi people.

He said they are protesting against the suppression of minorities in the region.

"Activists and people involved in politics should be allowed to put their case, to argue and discuss policies to expose wrong doings. Organisations like UN can take a . decision on hearing those views and that's what we should encourage," said Dr Paul Stott, University of Leicester, the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS London. (ANI)