SUMMARY REPORT
Annual General Meeting
"SINDH & SINDHIS - FUTURE STRATEGY"
7th September 1996
An Annual General Meeting of World Sindhi Congress, 'Sindh &
Sindhis - Future Strategy' held in London on 7th September 1996.
The meeting was attended by large number of the delegates
including many NGOs, Journalists and Sindhis from all over the
world. Dr Hidayatullah Bhutto welcomed the delegates and
announced the results of the WSC Elections on Behalf of the
Election Commissioner. Following were declared elected for the
term 1997-1999:
1. Dr. Munawar A. Halepota - Chairman.
2. Dr. Safdar N. Sarki - Vice Chairman.
3. Mr. Umed Ali Laghari - Vice Chairman.
4. Dr Haleem uddin Bhatti - Secretary General.
5. Mr. Saghir A. Shaikh - Deputy Secretary General.
6. Mr. Omar Memon - Finance Secretary.
7. Ms. Rubina Noor Shaikh - Information Secretary.
8. Dr. Hidayatullah Bhutto - Cultural Secretary.
9. Madam Zeenat Brohi - Member Central Committee
10. Mr. Abdul Rehman Kakepota - Member Central Committee
11. Mr. Ayoub Rind Baloch - Member central Committee
Dr. Halepota, Chairman of World Sindhi Congress, took the oath of
office from all the elected members, and declared the meeting
open. The first session was a closed door session, involving
constitutional and organisational discussions. The resolutions
and recommendations were finalised for consideration of the
delegates.
In the second session, Mr Gul Mohammed Jakhrani , Senior Vice
Chairman of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, praised World Sindhi Congress
for efforts to highlight the case of Sindh internationally. He
said that 'Sindhis are a historical nation, who have lived in
peace and harmony, for thousands of years, but today we are being
made slaves and Sindh colonised by Punjabis. We are trying to
inform the international community that Sindh and Sindhi nation
which has its own language, culture, traditions, history and
natural Geographical boundaries is now being denied its identity
and entity. Man made countries soon disappear, but the countries
created by GOD can not be destroyed'.
He further said that 'Today 40 million Sindhis are still living
in Sindh, and struggling for the independence of Sindh, their
motherland, where ever they are. Sindhis are not safe on their
land, their children are being killed in the name of law & order,
their resources are being taken away, Sindhis are being tortured
in prisons. Sindhis remember their heroes, who have sacrificed
their lives for Sindh, including Doolho Darya Khan, Hoshoo
Sheedee, Makhdoom Bilawal, Shaheed Mohammed Yousuf Jakhrani, and
Sain G M Syed'.
'Sain G M Syed, Father of Sindhi nation, was in prison for more
than 30 years, and he died in detention. Although Sain G M Syed
may not be with us physically, but his ideology and inspiration
will be with us forever'.
He said that 'WSC is making lot of efforts internationally, but
we must co-ordinate our efforts in Sindh, and I pray that Sindh
will be independent soon'.
Prof. Riyaz Punjabi , Director, Centre for Peace Studies, Jawahar
Lal Nehru University, New Delhi, highlighting the Historical
perspective of Self Determination, in the larger context and
specially in the region of South Asia, said that 'South Asian
states are nations unto themselves, eg. Sindhis, Punjabis,
Bengalis, Kashmiris. They have a past and they have a history,
These nationalities have survived for hundred of years. These
people have their own values, traditions, and customs. It has
beeen tried to unite them in the name of the religion or divide
them in the name of the religion, but result is that the tensions
keep mounting.
The Right of Self Determination evolved as a concept as a right
against the fascism, hegemony, domination. So that peoples of the
world live in harmony and independence, shape their future, have
the self governance, preserve their customs, preserve their
traditions. The evolution of the Right of Self Determination does
not allow population transfers so that indigenous people are
undermined, diluting their cultural rights, deleting them from
history, impose restrictions on them, and in a way force and
coerce them to lead a life of subjugation at the mercy of other
people and groups. This movement leads to separation once you
fail to recognize the identity of the cultural groups and deny
them the opportunities of self governance and self rule. The
experiment of homogenisation has failed all over the world, so
basically the issue hinges on allowing the people democratic
rights.
Taking the case of Sindhi people, they voluntarily joined the
state of Pakistan, as they were promised to remain integrally
sovereign to their affairs, to preserve their traditions, to
preserve their customs, to preserve their history and have some
respect. But if the policy of the transfer of population is
pursued so that Sindhis are being reduced into a minority, they
loose self rule and self governance, and denied basic human
rights. So the time came when Sindhi people realised that they
can not survive under the prevailing, said that they have the
right of Self Determination'.
Master Hussnain Baloch , 11 years young Sindhi and member of WSC,
in an emotional intervention said that, "I thank the Sindhi
leaders for letting me speak about Sindhis, and also I thank the
Sindhi leaders for giving me the honour to be a World Sindhi
Congress member. Today is my first day of being a Sindhi member,
even though I have been to a Sindhi conference before. I was born
here in London, and I thank the Sindhi leaders to let me speak
out as a Sindhi.
I want to speak about my Uncle, Uncle Halepota, because I heard
some terrible news about him. Dr Munawar Halepota, Secretary
General of World Sindhi Congress and Human Rights International,
on a private visit to his family in Pakistan, was arrested from
his family village on 28th November 1995. His house was raided by
more than 50 armed policemen and soldiers of Paramilitary forces,
with loaded rifles and guns, at 11 o'clock in the night. He
believes that he was to be handed over to the army intelligence
for interrogation and torture, but was returned to the local
police station after informing the arresting authorities about
his british citizenship.
It must be remembered that his close friend and Vice Chairman of
World Sindhi Congress, Shaheed Mohammed Yousuf Jakhrani was also
picked up in the similar fashion and tortured to death by the
security forces.
Dr Halepota was then transferred to the CIA centre where he was
informed that uncivilised means of interrogation will be used
and he witnessed the people being tortured brutally. He was
later transferred to the FIA safehouse in Islamabad, for further
interrogation where the authorities tried to implicate him in
terrorist activities and bomb explosion.
He was then transferred to Death Cell in Central Prison, and
kept under difficult circumstances. He was detained incommunicado
for more than a month, and denied any legal or medical help.
Ultimately he was taken from the prison and forcibly deported
out of the country on 4th January 1996, because of Internal and
International pressure.
Addressing a press conference in London, after his deportation
and arrival in UK, Dr Halepota claims that his life was saved by
the British passport and intervention of international community
as well as local pressure, including United Nations, European
Parliament, various Governments, NGOs, individuals and Press. Dr
Halepota thanked all those who helped to save his life and
obtain release from illegal imprisonment.
Dr. Haleem uddin Bhatti , Secretary General, World Sindhi Congress
presenting his report said that 'World Sindhi Congress, an
international forum of Sindhis has successfully completed eight
years of its existence, and was established to:
a) Monitor and highlight the developments affecting Sindh &
Sindhis, inside as well outside the country.
b) Defend the historic national rights of Sindhis, including the
right of self determination.
World Sindhi Congress, with its headquarters in London, and
offices in Sindh, America, and membership in different parts of
the world is the prime representative body of more than forty
million Sindhis, living all over the world but largely in Sindh.
Its aims and objects include:
1. Emancipation of masses from all kinds of exploitations.
2. Guarantee and safeguard the human rights as ensured in
the UN charter.
3. Uphold and implement the principles of natural justice.
4. Establish a society where every citizen has free access
to education & healthcare, and easy availability of
essential amenities of life.
5. Establish libraries, schools and educational institutions
for the intellectual enhancement and preservation of
national history.
6. special effort will be taken to improve the literacy of
masses.
7. Efforts to promote Sindhi language, and preserve the
cultural heritage of Sindh, such as folklore & music,
traditional arts & handicrafts, etc.
8. Promote traditional Sindhi games, and encourage other
popular sports.
9. Efforts to conserve the wildlife and forests of Sindh.
10. Efforts to seek and extend support & cooperation to other
like minded organisations, inside and outside the
country.
We call 'Sindh - A Country' and 'Sindhis - A nation' because o
ten thousands years history and internationally recognized
criteria of nationhood. Sindh has existed for milleniums,
extending from the Himaliya to Arabian Sea and from Persia to
India. Over the years its borders have shrunk to quarter of its
original size because of the geo-political changes. Watered by
mighty Indus River, a valley of abundance, it is the cradle of
the world's oldest surviving civilisation called 'Indus
Civilisation' , considered to be about ten thousand years old, and
still surviving in the villages and towns of Sindh. Inhabitated
by the descendants of original inhabitants and subsequent
settlers, who have lived in harmony and peace with the nature
through centuries, developing their distinct culture, language
and history.
It must be emphasised that Sindh has remained independent
throughout its ten thousand years history, except for few periods
in between. Sindhis voluntarily joined the newly created state of
Pakistan, on the basis of Pakistan resolution of 1940, which
promised that "... the constituent shall be autonomous and
sovereign" . However, the subsequent undemocratic governments and
military dictators never fulfilled the above promises, resulting
in instability and unrest in the region, separation of Bangladesh
and discontent among the remaining nations.
Sindhis feel that in the absence of any constitutional
protection, their social economic cultural civil and political
rights are being denied, and that they are being held hostages at
gunpoint by one of the ruthless armies, which has repeatedly
massacred its own people and innocent civilians around the world.
Hence, Sindhis are left with no other option except to demand the
right of self determination, according to the international law.
World Sindhi Congress is dedicated to establishing peace not
only in Sindh, but also through out the world, by peaceful &
democratic means. We believe that peace in the region, which is
strategically vital for world peace, can not be ensured unless
the expansionist ideas and policies of the military are stopped,
and the right of self determination restored to the historical
nations including Sindhis, Baluchs, Pathans, etc. We have
proposed to the government of Pakistan to stop the military
operation in Sindh, end violation of human rights and release all
political prisoners.
The people of Sindh have lost faith in the present political
system in Pakistan, as evidenced by the lack of participation in
last elections. World Sindhi Congress demands that a referendum
must be held in Sindh under the supervision of United Nations,
allowing 40 million Sindhis to decide about their future. This
will prevent unnecessary loss of life, and restore peace &
stability in the region.
Mr. Rashid Nutkani , General Secretary, Saraiki International,
thanked the WSC organisers for inviting him and said that "The
unfinished work of the imperialist and colonialists in the
subcontinent, specially in India and Pakistan, and South East
Asia is emerging. Imperialists has left to the neo-imperialist
their own communities. The rights of the communities, specially
the Right of Self Determination, have been taken away from the
communities.
The Sindh issue, Kashmir issue, Baluch issue, and the Siraiki
issue are still unresolved in the subcontinent. It is crime to
seek Self Determination as it used to be in imperialist time. So
basic human right, ie. the democratic right, is still not
available in the subcontinent, specially in my part of the world.
The people are taking to the streets for their cultural rights,
economic rights. It is a far cry that in 1996, the people are
dying for water, while the state elites are enjoying the modern
luxuries, without any conscience in a filthy rich way. This is
the struggle of any nationalist or humanitarian activist to help
the people for their human rights".
Dr Safdar N. Sarki , Vice Chairman, World Sindhi Congress, thanked
the delegates for coming to the meeting, said that "We Sindhis,
the thousands years old but still surviving civilisation, living
nation, with our own culture, our own history, our own country,
are in real danger by the people whom we welcomed to build new
country where everybody gets equal rights. But in the name of
Islam, they gave us martial laws, undemocratic corrupt society,
prisons, lashes on the back and torture to death.
I just remind you that we Sindhi people in our ten thousand years
history have never been aggressive with any nation, because the
richness of Sindh everybody came to invade us at gunpoint or with
sword. We fought just to defend ourselves, to save our motherland
and our people.
We are continuing that peaceful struggle, our great leader and
father of Sindhi nation, Sain G M Syed, is an example for the
whole world. In twentieth century, when every body is fighting
with the guns and guerilla warfare, he stands up with non-violent
peaceful struggle. He spent thirty years in prison, but he never
took a gun in his hand. He never incited the people against the
peoples. So the Sindhi peoples and comrades from WSC, want his
mission to continue, to fulfil our goal, to get the Right of Self
Determination for Sindh, by the peaceful means, according to the
international law, by the ballot not by the gun. So we ask the
Government of Pakistan to give us our rights, if you learn from
the history, you will have to give us our rights back, our land
back, our sovereignty back".
Mr Nazrul Islam Bose , Vice President Human Rights International,
extended the greetings from the President of HRI, Rt Hon Robert
Parry, who was unable to participate, as he was visiting the
countries involved in the practice of blatant violation of Human
Rights.
He said that "Blatant abuse of Human Rights is on the increase,
whether it is in Bosnia, Burma, Indonesia, Iraq, Chechniya,
China, Kabul, Kashmir or Sindh. But at the same time one realises
that the men and women of goodwill, who happen to be in the
majority the world over, are not keeping quite or stopped their
protest. Those engaged steadfastly in their struggle to regain
their birth rights, must also know that they are not alone, every
civilised and democratic person is with them all the way to the
final victory.
Like the people of Bangladesh in the seventies, the people of
Sindh, under the banner of World Sindhi Congress, are waging a
war of liberation from the dictatorship of the worst kind. They
deserve all appreciation and recognition, as the heir apparent of
the noble spirit of the late G M Syed, the father of Sindhi
nation".
Dr. Munawar A. Halepota , Chairman, World Sindhi Congress, in his
presidential address thanked all the delegates for being with us
and patiently listening to what we have to say. Shah Latif, our
national poet said:
U nless those who are suffering get together,
there can not be mourning,
those who cry from heart are obvious,
the rest are just observers.
Of all the people in the world and millions in this city, we are
because we feel the pain, each one of us, from various parts of
the world, from various communities, from various colours, from
various creeds, from various religions, those are beside us here
today. Yesterday our friend from Sudan was telling us about his
people getting killed in Sudan, I did feel the pain. Our
differences are only skin deep, your blood is red as mine, your
flesh is same is mine, your bones are same as mine. This is what
we have to remember, when we talk about pain and suffering.
When we talk about future strategy, I am looking forward to
twenty-first century, I am looking towards future generations.
Earlier young Hussnain came to make very emotional intervention,
he is proud to call himself Sindhi. He was born in London, he
hasn't seen Sindhi way of life, he does not know what is going on
in Sindh, but he feels the pain and suffering. Because he is the
representative of those people and that part of the people. He is
naive, he is young.
In Sindh today, the kids of his age, when they go to school find
drugs, kidnapping, torture, child labour, child prostitution, the
kids of his age in villages, walk barefoot in the heat of 50-55
degrees Celsius to graze cattle to support their parents and
families, the kids of his age don't even have the proper clothes
on the body, and the kids of his age don't even have proper meals
three times a day, what future do they have. Why do we want
Right of Self Determination, not just because we want to break up
Pakistan?
It is not that we can not afford the medicines or food for our
kids. From one district of Sindh, Badin, 80000 barrels of oil is
pumped out everyday. We can feed the whole Sindh, we can feed
whole Pakistan. We are feeding the whole of Pakistan, Sindh is
the net contributor to the exchequer of Pakistan, we contribute
60% of the budget of Pakistan and we get less than 10% in return.
we don't mind that, because through the centuries, throughout the
history we have shared our resources and our food. On occasions
when guests arrive, we don't mind going hungry just to feed our
guests, because we believe that guests are a blessing from GOD.
In my village, before I eat my food, I have to ask the neighbours
if their kids had something to eat or they are going hungry,
these are our traditions, this is our culture. So we don't mind
sharing 60% budget with the rest of Pakistan, but what is
happening with the 60% budget we contribute, it is spent on
military expenditure to buy guns, those guns are being used to
kill our people. That is why we want the Right of Self
Determination.
We don't mind going hungry to feed the poor refugees that come
there, but these refugees bring drugs, HEROIN, that has destroyed
one whole generation. There is hardly any family, which is not
affected by the drugs, which are deliberately being brought in.
We don't mind feeding those who need it, we send aid to Ethiopia,
Bosnia, we don't mind that, but we do mind spending on military
operation, which has been going on unofficially for last 20 years
atleast, and five years officially. We have to pay for this
military operation to get our boys killed, to get our girls raped
and to get our families displaced. We have to pay for all that,
while our children are going hungry, they don't have medicines,
they don't have food, they don't have proper education, they
don't have proper health care. Still we are a peace loving nation
and we believe in peaceful coexistence.
If they accuse you, you don't accuse them back,
those who aggress, don't gain anything.
(Latif)
I don't know about Muhajirs and other communities. When Pakistan
was created, Punjab refused to accept a single Muhajir from
India, because the transfer of Population was against the
Tripartite Agreement, hence the train loads of Muhajirs were
redirected to Sindh. We welcomed the poor Muslim brothers from
India, because we don't have hatred in our hearts, and we don't
mind sharing, we are naive followers of Latif and Sufism. So we
welcomed them, Sain G M Syed welcomed them, because they were
poor Muslim brothers. But what did we get in return, HATRED . In
1990-92, the MQM activists in Hyderabad and Karachi, massacred
hundreds of innocent Sindhis, including kids, elderly people.
girls as young as 10-11 were gang raped, their bodies mutilated
and MQM stamped on their private parts. This is what we get in
return, HATRED. That is why we want Right of Self Determination.
It is not because we want death to Pakistan. It is not because we
want to throw everybody out of the country. We have always said
to others, that we to live in peaceful coexistence. There is
enough to share between all the communities, that is why we had
invaders from Alexander, to Arabs, Portugese, Englishmen and
Muhajirs from India.
When Alexander came to the region, Raja Paurus of Indian Punjab
surrendered to him, but Raja Cyrus of Sindh did not surrender and
died defending the motherland, but the people did not cooperate
with Alexander. So he went to the old wise man and said: I want
to conquer the world, but your people are neither fighting with
me nor cooperating. The old wise man said to him, you want to
conquer the world, how much earth do you need after death. earth
is mother, how can you conquer your mother.
Now that motherland is being taken away from us. Eight million
acres of the land in Sindh has been awarded to military generals
and other outsiders. Every time a cricketer bowls out a team, he
is awarded 200 acres of land in Sindh. The authorities wanted to
build a bridge over the sewerage canal in Islamabad, and the
occupier was given 200 acres of land in exchange for 200 yards.
That motherland is being sold cheap, very cheap, that is why we
want the Right to Self Determination.
I was in Geneva last month, to attend the UN Working Group of
Indigenous Population, and an elderly lady asked me 'Are you
indigenous or aboriginal or a nation'. I said to her in Australia
aboriginal people have boomerang and in Sindh we call it 'Kattar'
used by Bagris. In Australia they use this big pipe for
ceremonial music, in Sindh we call it 'Nurr' so I don't know if I
am aboriginal. In America & Canada the indigenous people smoke
the pipe of peace, in Sindh we have something similar called
'Chillem' and in America & Canada they carry hatchet we call it
'Kuharri'. In America and Canada the indigenous people used to
follow Buffalo and worship White Bull, and in Moen-jo-Darro in
Sindh they have discovered seals of Bull worship, so may be I am
indigenous. When Mosses went up mount Sinai to receive ten
Commandments from GOD his followers built a statue of calf and
worshipped it, we find the seals which show it was done in
Moen-jo-Darro seven thousand years ago. So I don't know what I
am, may be I am a simple human being, but I have the right to
live the way I want to, I have the right to bring up my children
the way I want to according to my traditions & culture, teach
them my language & history, according to my civilisation on my
own piece of earth we call motherland, and this is the Right to
Self Determination, and this is as per international law.
I am not a terrorist, what is my crime that they put me in
prison, but I am lucky to be alive, but I know the people who
have been tortured to death for demanding the Right of Self
Determination. A 92 year old man was detained without trial, and
was on ventilator in Jinnah Hospital Karachi, and they cut off
the electricity. The Pakistan Government delegate in Geneva,
admitted in his speech that 'death of G M Syed was a great loss
to Pakistan, as he was one of the pioneer founders of Pakistan'
Why did they turn off the electricity to his ventilator, what was
his crime, He demanded the Right of Self Determination.
Why did he want the Right to Self Determination specially as he
was one of the founders of Pakistan, when you create something
you will not want to break it, rather you would want to protect
and preserve it, so that every body can admire it. So why did he
want the Right of Self Determination? because he said that 'We
were deceived'. I asked him, Sir but you passed the Pakistan
Resolution of 1940, and he replied 'we were deceived' .
The intention behind the creation of Pakistan was not to have
peace in the region, but to subjugate the people of Sindh, who
are innocent & naive, who are welcoming. According to the
Pakistan Resolution of 1940: ".. the constituent units shall be
autonomous and sovereign" . During my detention and interrogation
by FIA, they said to me that 'you want to break up Pakistan' I
replied "No, we demand the implementation of Pakistan Resolution
of 1940, and if you implement it there will be no need to break
up Pakistan, otherwise Sindhis have the Right to Self
Determination as per international law".
Question is how do we achieve the Right of Self Determination,
when we are facing a master who has 30 Divisions army, who has
recently bought sophisticated aeroplanes, who is assembling
nuclear bomb, who is building new cantonments in Sindh. Where
they going to use this bomb, what are they going to do with these
sophisticated aeroplanes and guns. I don't think they are going
to have another war with India, I think they had enough with
India. These guns and these weapons are being used to subjugate
Sindhis and their own people. If you consider the population
figures by World Bank, the population of Pakistan is about 200
million and the army is about 1.1 million, which means about 0.5%
of the population, and id getting 60% of the budget of Pakistan,
not to mention other sources. There is total ban on employment in
Sindh, for last five years, unless you pay hefty bribes. People
have to sale their last means of survival to get a job of primary
teacher, that is why we want the Right of Self Determination.
I am lucky to be born as a Sindhi, I am proud to be a Sindhi and
I am grateful to GOD that I am a Sindhi. Because I am a Sindhi, I
am considered anti-state, I am labelled Raja Dahir's descendants.
Last year, in the National Assembly of Pakistan, the members from
Punjab were throwing chairs at Sindhi members and accusing them
of being anti-islam, anti-state and traitors, because they
happened to be Sindhis. In Pakistan it is a crime to be Sindhi,
even if you serve your masters from Punjab, that is why we want
the Right to Self Determination.
How do we achieve our rights, there are two ways only either
Bullet or Ballot. The army and establishment want us to pick up
the guns, that makes it easy for them to kill Sindhis in the name
of law & order, many young Sindhi students ar being tortured in
prisons. They don't want us to continue peaceful struggle, where
is peace, even the ballot box is behind the guns. So what is our
future strategy? There are only few people of my generation who
still believe that we can achieve our constitutional legal rights
through peaceful means, without being subjugated or killed.
Sain G M Syed said "I may not see Sindhu desh in my life time,
but I am sure the future generations will see it" . When I look at
the history, the change is inevitable, it is happening today, not
only in Pakistan, but also in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, China,
it is happening in the whole region. It is a natural process, it
can not be stopped, and status quo can not be maintained in
nature, it is against the natural law. Our responsibility is that
how we bring about this change in a peaceful way, that is why we
are here today. That is why we talk about the Right of Self
Determination of all the people.
Pakistan is a member state of the United Nations and has signed
the UN charter, and member states have to respect the
International Bill of Rights, which says that "All the people
have the Right to Self Determination, and it is the
responsibility of the Governments to promote this right of the
people". When the governments don't promote this right, the
people pick up guns, and this is what we are trying to prevent,
because we believe in peaceful struggle.
Thank you very much again for coming here and supporting us.
RESOLUTIONS:
1. The meeting upholds the inherent and inalienable Rights to
Self Determination of the people as per the UN Charter and
International Covenants. It was resolved that all the historic
nations must be ensured the Right to Self Determination by the
United Nations and guarantied by the superpowers.
2. Sindh has been denied its socio-economic, cultural, historical
and political rights, beside much trumpeted status of an
independent, autonomous and sovereign state as envisaged in the
Pakistan Resolution of 1940. Therefore, this august gathering
demands that all discrimination against Sindhis must be brought
to an end, and historic national rights of Sindhis including the
'Right to Self Determination' , as ensured in UN Declaration of
Human Rights, must be restored forthwith.
3. Sovereignty of Sindhis be recognized over Sindh morally,
politically and constitutionally keeping in view the
un-challengable dictates of history and the centuries old
cultural continuity between the great Indus Civilisation of Moen
-jo-Darro and present day Sindh. Thus all the minority ethnic
groups living in Sindh are invited to join the majority struggle
for the self determination and enjoy the full rights and benefits
collectively.
4. Extreme concern was expressed at the widespread violation of
Human Rights in Pakistan and in particular Sindh and detention of
many Sindhi political activists, students and intellectuals. It
is resolved that basic Human Rights as per UN declaration must be
guarantied and implemented. The meeting further demands that all
the political prisoners should be tried in proper court of law or
released honourably.
5. The meeting demands that the cases pending since long periods
should be expedited or innocent Sindhis incriminated in false and
fabricated cases must be released honourably.
6. Extreme concern was expressed at the continued settlement of
illegal immigrants in Sindh estimated to be approximately 5
million, including Biharis, Bengalis, Afghans and others, which
is causing unbearable burden on the already shattered economy of
Sindh, and resulted in breakdown of law & order, terrorism, drug
trafficking, smuggling of arms & ammunition. It is resolved that
the 'Repatriation of Biharis' to Sindh must be stopped and all
the illegal immigrants returned to their countries of origin.
7. All Sindhis living around the world and their children, irrespective of cast, creed or religion, should be recognised as Sindhis. This meeting further calls upon all the Sindhis living around the world to unite and join the peaceful and lawful struggle to achieve the historic national rights including the right of self determination. 7. The Meeting rejects the 'Water Apportionment Agreement' signed by an undemocratic government without proper mandate from people of Sindh, violating previous international agreements. It is resolved that 'Kala Bagh, Ghazi Barroda & other such projects' must be abolished to prevent devastating effects on the agriculture & rural economy of Sindh. It is further resolved that LBOD project must be expedited to eradicate the increasing salinity and water logging in Sindh. 8. That socio-economic exploitation of Sindh must be stopped and control of all the natural resources of Sindh, including Oil, Gas, Coal, Gold, Uranium and other minerals should be handed over to the Government of Sindh. 9. That the revenues raised in Sindh from agriculture, taxation, customs duty from airport & seaports, etc., must remain under the control of government of Sindh and the funds should be utilised for the progress & development in Sindh, and the betterment of people of Sindh. 10. The meeting condemns the forcible accession of the coastal areas of Sindh and transfer to the Federal Coastal Development Authority and denying the fishing rights to native Sindhis and depriving the popular to the means of livelihood. It is resolved that the control of the coastal land and waters should be returned to the Government of Sindh and provide free access of the local population of the fishing area. 11. Sindhis must be ensured their due share of jobs in the provincial and federal governments, semi-government & autonomous agencies including civil, military and foreign services. 12. The meeting demands that the land should be reclaimed from the absentee landlords and re-allocated to local Sindhi farmers, and government assistance including technical & financial aid must be provided to increase the agricultural output and relieve economic deprivation and poverty in the rural areas of Sindh. 13. Concern was expressed at the deterioration of educational standards in Sindh, and it was resolved that all kind of political interference in the educational institutions must be stopped. 14. Concern was also expressed at the failure of 'Sindhi Language Authority' to fulfil its duties and it was resolved that government should provide immediate resources to promote Sindhi language & culture by providing proper representation in the mass communications media specially television & radio. 15. That urgent efforts must be made to protect the cultural heritage of Sindh and save Moen-jo-Darro & other important archeological sites including Bhambhor, Aamri, Rani kot, Kot Diji, Paqo Qilo, Grave of Hoshoo Shaheed, tomb of Ghulam Shah Kalhoro, etc. All these places must be declared as official historical sites. Immediate measures must be taken; i.e. removal of illegal encroachments and renovation, to restore the former glory of these sites. 16. The meeting condemns the demolition of villages in Karachi and further demands these centuries old villages should be registered without delay and provided with basic amenities of life such as clean drinking water, proper health care and education facilities. 17. The meeting condemns the increased terrorist activities by the militant groups, resulting in unnecessary loss of life of innocent civilians, specially in Karachi. 18. All the totalitarian governments have always manipulated with the population census by which the manipulating the census results. This meeting demands an honest population census and publish the results. 19. The conference resolves that all visa restrictions on overseas Sindhis visiting their homeland must be removed immediately.
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS: 1. Dr. H.U. Bhatti 2. Dr. M.A. Halepota 3. Dr. Safdar N. Sarki 4. Dr. H. Bhutto 5. Mr. B.K. Shar 6. Mr. U.A. Laghari 7. Mr. G.M. Jakhrani 8. Mr. Khalil Lohar 9. Mr. Sudhir Jadwani 10. Master Hussnain Baloch 11. Mr. Ayub Baloch 12. Ms. Nola Bret 13. Mr. Omar Memon 14. Kumari Padma Vasswani 15. Mr. N.U.I. Bose 16. Mr. Fazal Malik 17. Mr. D. Wattimena 18. Mr. G. Wattimena 19. Mr. J. Tetelepta 20. Mr. R. Lawalata 21. Mr. P. Mujamdar 22. Mr. T.K. Das 23. Mr. Zia-ur-Rehman 24. Mr. M. Aslam 25. Mr. K.S. Dugal 26. Mr. Ather Ali 27. Mr. Nisar Mozzam 28. Prof. Riyaz Punjabi 29. Mr. Nawaz Sindhi 30. Ms. Rukhsana Sindhi 31. Mr. N.C. Bhattacharjee 32. Mr. R. Nutkani 33. Dr. N.B. Sen-chaudhuri 34. Mr. Abdul Rehman Paleejo 35. Mr. Asif Rehman Paleejo 36. Mr. Darya Khan Paleejo 37. Mr. Afzal Tahir 38. Dr. B.B. Chaudhuri 39. Mrs. C. Chaudhuri. 40. Mr. A.M. Kazi
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