Protest Demonstration Against the Military Operation in Baluchistan and Disappearance of Sindhi and Baluch Political Activists
[Press release courtesy of World Sindhi Congress. Ref : WSC/UK/US300406. For more information, please contact A R Kakepoto at world_sindhi_congress@yahoo.com]

A massive protest rally was organised on 30 April 2006 in front of 10 Downing Street, the residence of British Prime Minster Tony Blair, by World Sindhi Congress (WSC), Baluchistan Action Committee (BAC), Baluchistan Rights Movement (BRM), World Sindhi Institute (WSI) and Sindhi Baluch Forum (SBF). The demonstration was held to protest against the on going inhumane military operation in Baluchistan and disappearance of thousands of Sindhi and Baluch political activists and their relatives. The protest was attended by hundreds of Baluchs and Sindhis and other human rights activists from UK, Europe, USA, Sindh and Baluchistan. Asma Jehangir, the prominent human rights activists and special reporter for UN also came to attend the demo.

The participants of the rally raised slogans against the military operation in Baluchistan, against the gross violations of human rights by Pakistani army, against the killings of Baluch and Sindhi people, against the adduction of Baluch and Sindhi political activists. The rally also raised slogans to release all Baluch and Sindhi political activists including Dr. Safdar Sarki and Gazain Marri.

The rally was addressed by many speakers who spoke about the plight of Baluch and Sindhi people in Pakistan. Dr. Lakhu Luhana thanked all the participants who came to attend the demo to show their support for the righteous struggle of Baluch and Sindhi people and to show their disgust against the inhumane acts of Pakistan’s army establishment. He particularly thanked Asma Jehangir who came to show her solidarity with the protest. He mentioned that Pakistani army has brought a hell for Baluch and Sindhi people who want to live with sovereignty, dignity and peace in their own motherland. He said that the current level of disappearance of political activists by Pakistani agencies could only be compared with the worst military times in South America.

Mr. Javed Mengal said that Pakistani establishment has fallen to new lows and is leaving no other option for Baluch people except to die with dignity rather accepting the Punjabi colonial domination. Mr. Mehran Marri said that the day is not very far when the sacrifices of the Baluch nation will bring light and the sufferings of Baluch nation will come to an end once and far ever. Mr. Qadir Jatoi said that the Pakistani establishment has not learnt lesson from the independence of Bangladesh and now same is going to happen in Baluchistan and Sindh. He said that Sindhi and Baluch people should establish closer links to face this colonial onslaught from Punjabi army effectively.

Mr. Abdullah Baluch said it is a matter of great shame what Pakistani army is doing in Baluchistan but he said that Pakistani army does not understand any other language except the language of force. Ms. Asma Jehangir in her speech said it is not only the struggle of Baluch and Sindhi people against the mercenary army of Pakistan but it is the struggle of all the democratic and progressive forces. She said Pakistan’s fattening, corrupt, shameless, killer army has to make a simple choice between their absolute power over Pakistan or Pakistan itself. She said that HRCP has consistently and fearlessly raised their voice against the Pakistani army’s brutalities and recently organised a demo in Karachi against the disappearances of political activists.

Finally Asma Jehangir, Mehran Baluch, Javed Mengal, Lakhu Luhana, Qadir Jatoi and Ismail Ameri submitted a petition to British prime Minster, Tony Blair, at 10 Downing Street which requested for the support of his government :

1. To impress on the military government of Pakistan to immediately stop the military operation against Baluch people that has created a near-genocide situation.
2. To demand from the Pakistani government to respect the international treatise on human rights and produce all the Sindhi and Baluch people in the judicial courts who have been kidnapped by their agencies including Dr. Safdar Sarki, Abdul Nabi Bungulzai, Ali Asghar Bangulzai, Dr. Imdad Baloch, Dr. Allah Nazar Baloch, Abdul Ghaffar Sasooli, Dr Haneef Sharif, Nawaz Zaour, Haji Jan Mohammed Marri, Allah Dad Marri, and thousands other Baluch and Sindhi political activists.
3. To ask Pakistan government to stop immediately the work on Gwadar Port. The development of the Gwadar should only be carried with the consent of the Baluch people and by the Baluch people.
4. To ask Pakistan government to stop work on Greater Thal Canal and do not embark on the construction of any other dam on river Indus and settle the water issues on the basis of the internationally accepted lower riparian rights.
5. To ask Pakistan government not to build any army cantonments in order to suppress the democratic, nationalist and secular movements
6. That all the relevant departments must ensure that human rights and other issues between the nations in Pakistan are amicably and lawfully settled prior to releasing any aid packages to the government of General Musharaf.

About the World Sindhi Congress (WSC) is one of the most prominent human rights advocacy organizations for Sindh and Sindhis. The main objective of WSC is to create a better understanding among the international community about the persecuted status of Sindhis in Pakistan and about Sindhi people’s struggles for their human rights, including the right of self-determination. WSC is a registered company in England and Wales, and California, USA, organzied to carry out non-profit activities only. For more information, visit http://www.worldsindhicongress.org