The delegation of the World Sindhi Congress, led by Dr. Rubina Shaikh, Vice Chairperson, participated in the 56th Session of UN Commission on Human Rights currently being held in Geneva (March 20 -April 28, 2000).
During her visit to Geneva, Dr. Shaikh met various UN officials, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and delegates of several countries participating the session. Dr. Shaikh got an opportunity to read and submit statements on Item 7 (Right to development), Item 9 (Human rights and fundamental freedoms), Item 10 (Economic, social and cultural rights) and Item 12 (Human rights of women and gender perspective).
In her speech for Item 7 (Right to development), Dr. Shaikh, emphasized the under-developed and deprived situation in various regions of Sindh especially in the region of ‘Thar’. She reported that the recent drought in Thar has resulted in the death of more than 300 people. Government has historically neglected this region and it lacks basic facilities like clean water, sewerage, schools, emergency health care units, and hospitals. In her statement she brought the Commission’s attention towards these discriminatory policies resulting in the violation of Sindh’s right to development. She also reported the Government’s intention to carry out the controversial construction of Kalabagh Dam, which has been opposed by all three provinces except Punjab. Various studies have shown the detrimental (economic, cultural and ecological) affects of the construction of this dam on the populations and economies of Sindh, Baluchistan and Pakhtoonkhawa. She further reported that there is a growing unemployment in Sindh and recently numerous Sindhi employees were retrenched from Pakistan Steel Mills. She pleaded the International community to help Sindh and Sindhis in obtaining the equal opportunities and rights to development and prosperity.
In her brief position statement submitted for Item 9 (Human rights and fundamental freedoms), Dr. Shaikh condemned the undemocratic military rule in Pakistan. She stated that Sindh is at a disadvantaged status in current set up of Pakistan and demanded that the Right of Self-determination be granted to Sindh as promised in the 1940 resolution of Pakistan.
In a detailed statement for Item 10 (Economic, social and cultural rights), read by a non-governmental delegate to UN, Dr. Shaikh highlighted the issues of unequal allocation of financial resources, water resources distribution policies, and the suppression of Sindhi language and culture in Pakistan. (The full text of this statement is presented below).
Finally on the Item 12 (Human Rights of women and gender perspective), WSC submitted a brief statement regarding the discriminatory laws and policies against women in Pakistan. Dr. Shaikh reported that women are denied from their basic rights like the right to work, equal opportunity to job, education, and healthcare, and safeguarding of the function of reproduction. Government remains insensitive to anti-women social like discrimination, domestic violence, and honor killing. She demanded that Pakistan Government must be influenced to eliminate the discriminatory laws, and carry out necessary policies and education to ensure the increased participation of women from the rural areas in regeneration of these areas at all levels.
Since last ten years, WSC have been regularly participating in this
important UN event. WSC considers this participation as an important achievement
because Sindhis get chance to present their case in front of international
community and challenge the “official” governmental stands of Pakistan.
Provisional Agenda - Item 10 – Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Pakistan has been under military rules for 40 years out of its 52 years of existence. This unfortunate condition derives from the country’s composition in the present form, in which one province, namely Punjab, has an overwhelming domination in all spheres of power. Peoples of smaller provinces, especially Sindh and Baluchistan, are being denied their due economic, social, and cultural rights. The facts stated below illustrate economic and cultural exploitations inflicted upon the people of Sindh by the Government of Pakistan in recent years.
1) Unequal Allocation of Financial Resources
For last ten years, an illegal and unconstitutional body (consisting of selective non-representative individuals) called the National Finance Commission is managing taxes as well as other financial resources in Pakistan. Despite the fact that Sindh remains the largest contributor to the country’s federal income (70% of federal taxes and 50% of overall income is generated from Sindh), the province is currently bankrupt and unable to carry out its day to day operations—not to speak of any meaningful development. The unconstitutional government and its crony bureaucrats constantly manipulate population census figures and Sindh’s budget requirements, and charge false federal expenses to the province to justify discrimination.
2) Suppression of Sindhi Language and Culture
The majority of people speak the Sindhi language in Sindh, and Sindhi was the official language of the region even under the British rule. In the current undemocratic setup, however, the Sindhi language has been marginalized to such an extent that its survival is under threat. The state-controlled media only provide less that 30 minutes a day of Sindhi broadcast. Sindhi schools are systematically shut down throughout the province, especially from urban areas of Sindh. This is widening the gap between rural and urban people of Sindh. The gap has been a central factor of many social conflicts in the province, resulting in deaths of tens of thousands of people. Federal policies that increase the urban-rural divide are detrimental to Sindh. Furthermore, Sindhi Sufi thoughts, which are more secular in character than the orthodox Islam, have been systematically threatened, as the State engages itself in pan-Islamic propaganda. The suppression of Sindhi culture and the dominance of state-imposed social life created hopelessness among Sindhis.
3) Water Resources Distribution
Agriculture remains the major source of income in Sindh, but the region’s agricultural industry is victim to the current unequal water distribution from River Indus. The Punjab-dominated government takes no shame in deviating from the 1991 Water Accord. The Accord entailed unfairness to begin with, due to its passage by unconstitutional and non-representative bodies, and the government is not even complying with that.
Having experienced the economic, social, and cultural repression summarized above, Sindhis are now demanding the right of self-determination. The right of self-determination was promised to all provinces in the Pakistan Resolution of 1940, under which condition Sindh accepted to join the Federation of Pakistan.
Sindhis also believe that the right of self-determination is their inherent and inalienable right, as per the UN Charter and International Convent. By virtue of this right, Sindhis should be allowed to freely determine their political status and to pursue their economic, social, and cultural developments. Sindhis should also be allowed to possess their land’s natural resources fully. In no case, should Sindhis be deprived of their own means of subsistence. And the Government should be responsible for an adequate standard of living for all citizens.
Dr. Rubina Shaikh
World Sindhi Congress
EMAIL: WORLD_SINDHI_CONGRESS@YAHOO.COM
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