Berlin, Nov 4 (IANS) Shafi Burfat, Chairman of the Jeay Sindh Muttahida Maha (JSMM), wrote to American Congressman Brad Sherman with copies sent to several international human rights organisations, accusing Pakistan of subjecting indigenous communities, including Sindhis, to the worst forms of slavery, political repression, economic exploitation, and brutal torture of political activists.
In an open letter addressed to Sherman, Burfat said, “The oppressed peoples, political activists, intellectuals, writers, journalists, men and women of the region who raise their voice for human rights, consider you a great source of strength and hope for themselves. You have always raised your timely voice against violations of human rights for the historic nations imprisoned in Pakistan, including Sindh.”
“Your principled position and courageous statements against the ongoing political oppression and economic exploitation of the historic nations by the Pakistani state are felt by millions of oppressed people including the Sindhi nation—as a light of hope and encouragement, a candle in the deep darkness of oppression, tyranny, and state fascism, bringing life and new hope,” it added.
Burfat alleged that since the very first day of Pakistan’s creation, this “unnatural state” has continuously conspired under the deception of religion against the existence of the “imprisoned nations” and their historic political freedoms, economic resources, demography, language, culture, and history.
“The reality is that this unnatural state is in fact nothing but Punjabi imperialism, because Pakistan exists solely for the interests of the Punjabi colonial nation. Eighty percent of Pakistan’s army consists of Punjabis, and the historic nations, including Sindhis, have been subjected to the worst forms of slavery, political repression, and economic exploitation under this fascist state,” he stated.
The Sindhi leader highlighted that people of Sindh are exercising their right to national self-determination, a natural and internationally recognised right of all nations, and struggling for the independence of their homeland, “Sindhudesh.”
Because of this struggle, he said, hundreds of Sindhi political workers have been detained, disappeared, and imprisoned in Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) torture cells for 10 to 12 years.
“Many mutilated bodies of Sindhi national activists have been thrown by ISI on roads and deserted places across Sindh. These include JSMM’s Central General Secretary Muzaffar Bhutto, Afzal Panhwar, Samieullah Kalhoro, Munir Khan Choliani, Raja Dahar Bhanbhro, Zulfiqar Kolachi, and many others,” the letter detailed, highlighting the atrocities by Pakistani forces.
“JSMM’s Senior Vice Chairman Sarai Qurban Khahoor and Noorullah Tanyu (Rupalo Choliani) were publicly wounded and burned alive by the army before the villagers,’ it added.
Emphasising that hundreds of activists remain missing, Burfat expressed hope that the US Congressman would raise his voice to save the lives of the hundreds of disappeared political activists of Sindh.
–IANS
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