Rally for Rights at Los Angeles Consulate General

Los Angeles, CA: Sindhi activists, housewives and children, members of World Sindhi Institute, SANA, World Sindhi Congress and many other democracy-loving Pakistanis gathered in front of the Pakistan Consulate in Wilshire on February 27 to register a protest.
Wearing symbolic and traditional ajrak scarves, the young and old, men and women, stood silently in pouring rain with placards denouncing mega dams, the operation in Balochistan, and the desertification in Sindh caused by lopsided and self-serving policies of the government.
Saghir Shaikh of WSC and Suraya Panhwar of SANA lashed out against the human rights violations in Pakistan.
Munawar Laghari, Executive Director of the World Sindhi Institute, said when the oppressed people of Pakistan speak in favor of women’s rights they are labeled as “anti-Islam”; when they speak against military dictatorship they are labeled as “anti-state”, and when they demand human rights they are told that “Sindhis and Baloch are unpatriotic.”
“Today we have reached a stage when we no longer care what labels the generals give us; time will show who we really are and history will record who the generals were.” He demanded the release of Dr Safdar Sarki, who was arrested and incarcerated last week in Karachi.
Humaira Rahman Director of the World Sindhi Institute in Canada, said the participants in the meeting wanted to tell the people of the United States that they were being fooled by the military government of Pakistan . Instead of a war against terror and against fundamentalism another war is being conducted: a war against the fundamental rights of the people of Pakistan, especially the Sindhis, Baloch, Seraikis, Pushtuns and the poor of Punjab by a privileged and self-serving ruling class .
Mr Rasool Bux Palijo speaking on the occasion said that we reject the Pakistan that is run by the military; we want Jinnah’s Pakistan, the original and pure Pakistan that was created on the basis of the 1940 Resolution in which the center was granted the portfolios of currency, defense and defense-related communication.
The participants held up placards claiming “Water is for life not for death”, “Stop mega dams”, “The military generals of Pakistan are corrupt”. They raised slogans demanding an end to the military rule and the restoration of democracy.
Rasool Bux Palijo and Humaira Rahman presented a memorandum addressed to the Consulate General to a representative of the Consulate who promised to forward it to the federal government in Islamabad.
Munawar Laghari thanked the local Sindhi community for their support and affection. In particular, he thanked Saleem Ursani, Shabbir Jatoi, Saleem Langha, Sani and Suraya Panhwar, Malik Dino Shaikh, Sagheer Shaikh, Rahman Kakepoto, Eijaz Sayed, Hasan Mujtaba and Seema Qureshi, Rahman Laghari, Raheem Laghari, Amar Punhwari,and Mr Adnan Nazeer.

 

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Editor: Akhtar M. Faruqui
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