Rally for Rights : New York City
[Press release courtesy of World Sindhi Institute, USA]

March 7th New York N.Y: In continuation of its program of holding successive rallies in major north American cities WSI held the 5th joint rally with the endorsement and support of the World Sindhi Congress, the Baloch Society of north America, the Sindhi Association of North America friends of South Asia and Baloch Human Rights International.

Gathering on the side walk at the intersection of 5th avenue and 65th Street on the east side of Central Park, Manhattan within a block of the Pakistani consulate, the demonstrators raised angry slogans against the military government of Pakistan. Interspersed with emotional slogans in favour of democracy and autonomy there were also demands raised for the implementation of the 1940 resolution which guaranteed all autonomy to the provinces except for currency, defence and defence related communication which would rest with the center.

The speakers pointed out that Pakistan’s military community - which in sheer numbers now extends to almost 1 million persons with at the very least 5 million beneficiaries - have entered into every sector of the civilian economy like a cancer. Instead, the rest of Sindh, Balochistan and Pakhtunkhwa are held as colonies to be exploited at the will of the military. Huge decisions that will impact generations to come like the Kalabagh or other dams on the Indus are made behind closed doors with the CEO’s of International Finance Corporations by general Musharaff’s kitchen cabinet, throwing mud in the face of the elected legislatures who have already ruled against the dams.

Whilst innocent civilians including women and children are killed in Balochistan, general Musharaff’s successful advertisement campaign of "enlightened moderation" has bewitched the hearts and minds of western governments. In spite of over whelming evidence that extremist militants, supported by the Inter Services Intelligence (a military institution that actually rules over all governments in Pakistan) continue to terrorize ordinary citizens in all the provinces of Pakistan. However north American citizens can collectively bring about considerable weight to bear through petitioning their congressmen and women or members of parliament. This was the underlying message of all speakers at this rally and the previous four at Washington D.C., Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles.

Bangla Deshi supporters who spoke at the event recalled how 160,000 Bengali women were raped by the Pakistan military in 1971. "Had we insisted on trying the Pakistan military for war crimes, perhaps our Sindhi, Baloch and Pushtun brothers and sisters would not be suffering as much today" said Saleem Samad.

Speakers also included Farhan Soomro from World Sindhi Congress, Wahid Baloch from Baloch Society of North America, director Humaira Rahman WSI Canada and executive director WSI Munawar Laghari.

For more information, please call 202-223-1777 or email us at wsihq@worldsindhi.org. Visit www.worldsindhi.org for more information.

Through nonviolent means, The World Sindhi Institute works relentlessly for universal human rights and humanitarian law for the Sindhis of Sindh, in southeastern Pakistan.