Munich [Germany] August 24 : Chairman of Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), Shafi Burfat has called on the United Nations to take action against what he refers to as the "systematic oppression, exploitation, and imminent division of Sindh" by the Pakistani government in an international appeal directed to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The August 23 dated appeal was submitted on behalf of the Sindhi people, scholars, civil society organisations, human rights activists, and members of the Sindhi diaspora. Burfat's request urged the United Nations to acknowledge the Sindhi nation's right to self-determination and to support their quest for independence in the form of Sindhudesh.
The letter highlighted Sindh's historical identity as an ancient homeland, tracing back over 5,000 to 8,000 years to the Indus Valley Civilisation, which, according to Burfat, has been subjected to a status of de facto colonial subjugation under Pakistan since 1947.
He characterised Sindh's current condition as one of "extreme subjugation" under Punjabi rule, where its resources are exploited, its culture is oppressed, and its territorial integrity is threatened.
He recalled the enforcement of the "One Unit" scheme in 1955, which eliminated Sindh's provincial autonomy, merged it into a centralised West Pakistan entity dominated by Punjab, and separated Karachi in 1948, depriving Sindhis of their historic economic centre.
He accused consecutive Pakistani governments of executing conspiracies to erode Sindhi society through the establishment of religious seminaries aimed at undermining Sindh's secular and Sufi heritage, along with initiatives to fragment Sindhis along linguistic lines.
Burfat cited the period of military ruler Zia-ul-Haq during the 1970s and 1980s as a time of significant oppression towards Sindhi nationalist movements.
He contended that countless activists and intellectuals were forcibly disappeared, tortured, and murdered by the state, while nationalist figures were labelled as "foreign agents" to rationalise the violence.
He accused the Pakistani government of distorting the history of Sindh by glorifying foreign invaders like Muhammad bin Qasim while depicting Sindh's own historical hero, Rajah Dahir, negatively.
The systematic undermining of Sindh's cultural identity, including the marginalisation of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai's poetry and the heritage sites of the Indus Valley in Pakistan's educational curriculum, he argued, amounted to "historical slavery" and violated international human rights standards.
The appeal also condemned the political suppression that Burfat described as Punjabi imperialism enforced through Pakistan's military, which he claimed is dominated by Punjabis.
He alleged that the politics of Sindh are manipulated through gerrymandering, voter suppression, and the strategic placement of feudal lords and extremists in significant roles. He posited that the 18th Amendment to Pakistan's Constitution, enacted in 2010 and praised as a move towards autonomy, was actually "deceptive and fraudulent," ultimately serving to legally entrench the subjugation of Sindh and other historical nations.
Burfat stated that Sindhi political leaders advocating for Sindhudesh's independence have experienced disappearances, torture, and targeted killings orchestrated by the military and intelligence operations. He accused the state of discarding the disfigured bodies of Sindhi activists as part of its campaign of terror.
Burfat referred to the 2010 floods in Sindh as an additional instance of state negligence and exploitation, claiming that while millions of Sindhis faced displacement and destruction, the military redirected international relief assistance for its own purposes, leaving the populace vulnerable to hunger and disease.
He also cautioned against recent plots to carve Sindh into new administrative divisions or ethnic enclaves, labelling them as colonial-style strategies intended to weaken Sindh's unity and diminish the Sindhi majority in their own land.
Economically, Burfat characterised Sindh as Pakistan's "resource hub," responsible for over 70 percent of natural gas and 60 percent of oil, alongside substantial agricultural production, yet remaining in poverty, with more than 57 percent of its inhabitants living below the poverty threshold.
He accused Punjab and Islamabad of extracting Sindh's financial resources while neglecting to reinvest in its infrastructure, healthcare, or educational systems.
He pointed to the rerouting of Indus River waters through Punjab's upstream dams and canals as a stark instance of exploitation, claiming that Sindh, entitled under a water-sharing agreement from 1945 to 75 percent of the Indus waters, now only receives 40 percent.
This, he asserted, has resulted in environmental degradation, famine, and the collapse of agriculture in the Indus Delta. He further criticised the exploitation of Sindh's Thar coal, gas, and mineral resources by multinational corporations in collusion with the Pakistani government, accusing them of displacing local communities and exacerbating health issues.
Culturally, Burfat cautioned against the diminishing of Sindhi identity due to the predominance of Urdu and the systematic marginalisation of the Sindhi language, which is spoken by over 60 million individuals.
He drew parallels with the Bengali people's battle against Urdu dominance in 1971, which ultimately resulted in the formation of Bangladesh, asserting that Sindhis are facing a similar threat of cultural erasure.
He accused the government of manipulating Sindh's demographics through migration strategies, persecuting religious minorities, targeting Sindhi journalists and activists, and militarising the area under the guise of counterterrorism. He noted that women and marginalised groups bear the brunt of this repression, enduring bonded labour and gender-based violence.
In his plea, Burfat urged the United Nations to initiate an independent investigation into Sindh to record human rights violations, resource exploitation, and schemes to fragment the province. He called on the UN to endorse the Sindhi people's right to self-determination, potentially through a UN-supervised referendum for autonomy and independence.
He advocated for targeted sanctions against Pakistani officials accountable for oppression, immediate humanitarian assistance for flood victims and impoverished communities in Sindh, and the organisation of a special session of the UN Human Rights Council or General Assembly to tackle the challenges faced by Sindh and other historically oppressed nations within Pakistan.
He concluded by demanding referendums in Sindh and other marginalised regions to secure their "complete independence from the illegitimate state of Pakistan."
"The survival of the Sindhi nation within Pakistan is jeopardised," Burfat cautioned in his final remarks. "Similar to the Bengali nation, the Sindhi nation aspires for independence from this illegitimate state to emerge as a free and respected nation among the global community. Your involvement can avert a humanitarian disaster and reinforce the United Nations' commitment to supporting oppressed nations across the globe."
The appeal was signed by Shafi Burfat, Chairman of Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), and submitted on behalf of the Sindhi nation, academics, and the diaspora.
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