World Sindhi Congress Calls For End To ‘Genocide’ Of Sindhi Hindus At UN Conference

At the conference hosted by the World Sindhi Congress (WSC) at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on 6 March, participants had strong words to say about the treatment of Sindhi Hindus in Pakistan.

Rubina Greenwood, Chair of the WSC, opened the conference, titled ‘Erosion of Sindhi Culture in Pakistan’, with reference to the terrorist attack last month by Islamic fundamentalist forces on the Sufi shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar at Sehwan in Sindh province of Pakistan. She said the attack, which killed at least 80 people, was a severe blow to Sindhi culture, and charged Pakistan of systematically forcing the migration of Sindhi Hindus, whose share of the population in Sindh province has dropped significantly from 25 per cent to a mere 6-8 per cent.

Secretary General Lakhu Luhana spoke of the cultural genocide in Sindh, citing Article 7 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. He called for an end to this genocide and pressed for the need to respect Sindh's land, its natural resources and values.

Other participants included Paulo Casaca, Executive Director of South Asia Democratic Forum, and Viorica Dancila, member of the European Parliament. All speakers called on the international community to pay attention to this serious human rights violation against the Sindhi people, who were faced with a threat to their very identity in Pakistan.

With Inputs From ANI.