Culture, Pakistan, Politics, Sindh, Sindhi

Launch a Sindhi Rights movement or Alliance of Action

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by: Khalid Hashmani, Mclean, Virginia, USA

Naseer Memon has written a timely article on the critical need for starting a unified struggle by all Sindhi political parties for the Sindhi Rights. The current situation is quite alarming as neither the Poples’ Party of Pakistan (PPP) nor the Sindhi Nationalist parties are truly and effectively representing Sindhi interests. This need is also being felt by overseas Sindhis. Last week, one of the largest organization of overseas Sindhis, Sindhi Association of North America (SANA) passed a resolution appealing to both PPP and Sindhi nationalist parties to join hands and secure Sindhi rights and protect Sindhi interests. The article says that the following issues are causing a great deal of disappointment and feeling of helplessness among Sindhis:

1. Sindhis in general feel that nothing has changed in the last one and half year. It seems like their treatment by the provincial and central governments is the same as in the days of dictator Musharraf’s regime.

2. The talk of dividing Sindh under the pretext of “Siraiki province” is becoming louder each day from the vested interests.

3. The promises that were made by the ruling party to restore provincial ownership of the assets located in provinces have been forgotten.

4. The ruling party continues to support and drive its support through “wadera class”, largely ignoring growing Sindhi middle class.

5. Instead of taking steps to discourage attempts that aim at diluting Sindhi majority status, the ruling party appears to be encouraging such forces and facilitating settlement of non-Sindhis in Sindh.

6. The state of governance is in extremely poor state. Except for few 2-3 individuals, most officials appointed by the ruling party and others associated with the ruling party are largely promoting self-interests with no regard to the collective Sindhi interests.

Under these uncertain and dangerous times, it is imperative that Sindhi nationalist and progressive parties formulate a unified approach and launch a Sindhi Rights movement or “Alliance of Action” with a realistic and practical agenda as follows:

1. Restoration of water required for Sindh’s aquiculture and economic progress.

2. Distribution of revenues collected by the central government that reflect the level of revenue generated, population, and poverty of each province.

3. Geographical integrity of the current boundaries of Sindh and taking steps to stop any attempts that have potential for further deterioration of majority status of Sindhis in Sindh.

4. Restoring provincial ownership of natural resources located in each province.

A “code of Conduct” must be formulated to defeat any designs that aim at breaking Sindhi unity and as ell facilitate other Sindhi parties to join the alliance.

We must act as neither PPP nor nationalist Sindhi parties individually are now effectively representing Sindhi interests. The usurpers and enemies of Sindhis are taking advantage of this “gap” and ramping through their evil designs. Failure to act at the present time will be a gross negligence and treachery to Sindhi interests!

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