United Nations urged to intervene by JSMM leader Shafi Burfat over alleged "systematic suppression" in Sindh region

In a significant move, Shafi Burfat, Chairman of the Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), has appealed to the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, urging action against the alleged systematic oppression, exploitation, and division of the province of Sindh by the Pakistani government.

Dated August 23, the appeal was submitted on behalf of the Sindhi people, scholars, civil society organisations, human rights activists, and members of the Sindhi diaspora.

Burfat, in his appeal, drew parallels with the Bengali people's battle against Urdu dominance in 1971, asserting that Sindhis are facing a similar threat of cultural erasure. He contends that Sindh's current condition is one of "extreme subjugation" under Punjabi rule, where its resources are exploited, its culture is oppressed, and its territorial integrity is threatened.

Historically an ancient homeland, tracing back over 5,000 to 8,000 years to the Indus Valley Civilisation, Sindh has been subjected to a status of de facto colonial subjugation under Pakistan since 1947, Burfat claims. This is evident in the exploitation of Sindh's Thar coal, gas, and mineral resources by multinational corporations in collusion with the Pakistani government, which has resulted in the displacement of local communities and exacerbated health issues.

Burfat also criticised the rerouting of Indus River waters through Punjab's upstream dams and canals as a stark instance of exploitation. Sindh, entitled to 75 percent of the Indus waters, now only receives 40 percent, he argued. This water shortage, according to Burfat, has resulted in environmental degradation, famine, and the collapse of agriculture in the Indus Delta.

The Chairman of JSMM further accused consecutive Pakistani governments of executing conspiracies to erode Sindhi society. This includes the establishment of religious seminaries aimed at undermining Sindh's secular and Sufi heritage, and initiatives to fragment Sindhis along linguistic lines.

Burfat also pointed to the distortion of Sindh's history by glorifying foreign invaders like Muhammad bin Qasim while depicting Sindh's own historical hero, Rajah Dahir, negatively. He argued that 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, amounts to "historical slavery" and violates international human rights standards.

Moreover, Burfat cautioned against the diminishing of Sindhi identity due to the predominance of Urdu and the systematic marginalisation of the Sindhi language. He also accused Punjab and Islamabad of neglecting to reinvest Sindh's financial resources in its infrastructure, healthcare, or educational systems.

Burfat further 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 contends that numerous activists and intellectuals were forcibly disappeared, tortured, and murdered by the state during the rule of military ruler Zia-ul-Haq in the 1970s and 1980s.

In his appeal, 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 also called on the UN to endorse the Sindhi people's right to self-determination, potentially through a UN-supervised referendum for autonomy and independence. Burfat demands referendums in Sindh and other marginalised regions to secure their "complete independence from the illegitimate state of Pakistan."