– Khalid Hashmani, USA

In my view, the declaration below reflects sentiments of most Sindhis…

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Joint Declaration – National Consultative Conference of Sindhi People -Hosted by Awami Tahreek, in Hyderabad.

We the political activists, intellectuals, writers, women activists, civil society members, farmers, teachers, media, representatives of the different professional organizations and the people of Sindh unanimously declare that Sindh has been thrown at the mercy of urban terrorists, cruel feudal and myopic establishment of Pakistan. Cities of Sindh are being treated as conquered territory, rural areas have been converted into feudal fiefdoms and natural resources of Sindh are being exploited as colonial subject. Sindhis have been deprived of their right to rule and reduced into no entity while taking decision on matters pertaining to the province. Though state institutions do exist but they serve the interests of establishment, feudal, terrorists, anti Sindh forces and the Punjab dominated federation of Pakistan.

Government institutions in Sindh are crippled and governance is in its worst condition. People of Sindh in spite of contributing billions of rupees into national economy are deprived of basic human rights such as security, education, health and drinking water. Economy of rural Sindh has been ruined by curtailing share of Sindh in finance, irrigation water and benefits from its natural resources. Law and order situation is in the worst condition and innocent people of Sindh are being killed and kidnapped with impunity. Several districts of Sindh are virtually controlled by criminals who have made the life miserable for people of Sindh. This dirty business is being carried out under custodianship of tribal chiefs and their agents whereas the state machinery is protecting terrorist and dacoits rather than people of Sindh.

Cities of Sindh are being snatched from Sindhis by surrendering administrative control to urban terrorist groups, land mafia and illegal migrants. Sindh has been invaded by illegal immigrants from neighboring countries and other provinces of Pakistan. These hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants have taken over the cities of Sindh with the support of terrorist gangs and Sindhis are being pushed out of cities of Sindh. This is being done in a highly organized manner to change demographic configuration of Sindh and reducing Sindhis into absolute minority on their own historic homeland.

The recent wave of inter-provincial migration from up country might prove to be the last straw for Sindh, which should be stopped immediately. Provincial government should urgently develop and execute a mechanism to stop deluge of migrants from up country to save Sindh from new socio-political conflicts. The Sindh government has officially acknowledged presence of 1.5 million outsider aliens in the province. There is no reason that these illegal aliens should not be expelled without wasting a moment.

People of Sindh have a strong feeling that their motherland has been converted into a colony where natural resources of Sindh are being plundered by federal ministries and the government of Sindh is a mere spectator. Sindh produces oil, gas and coal worth billions of dollars but over sixty percent of rural Sindh lives in abject poverty and high level of deprivation. Economy of rural Sindh has been completely ruined due to ceaseless usurping of Sindh’s share of water, artificial shortage of seed and fertilizer, unfair pricing mechanism, highly skewed land holding and lack of facilities to small farmers. Rural Sindh has been completely neglected in industrial activity as the ministry of industries has been handed over to people who have not only absolutely no interest in industrial development in rural Sindh but are vehemently opposed to it. This has stagnated rural economy only to create thousands of unemployed Sindhi youth who are bound to be exploited by negative tendencies. Tribalism and jirgas are breeding places for social disharmony in Sindh which has been left unchecked to devastate Sindhi society.

This house also notices with regret that imprudent policies of international powers are also jeopardizing interest of Sindhis. It is unfortunate that the USA and it’s allies on the one hand claim to be the champions of the war against terrorism and on the other hand they are blatantly supporting notorious urban terrorist groups for the sake of their short term interests. All development aid coming from developed countries is being spent through Punjab dominated establishment which has a history of double cross by exploiting billions of dollars of aid money and also siding with the terrorist groups. Sindhis and other nations having rich tradition of secular values and struggle for democracy have been completely ignored by self proclaimed Western democracies. This has created disgruntlement among Sindhi masses who are constrained to conclude that international forces have been trapped by shrewd Punjabi establishment and its allied terrorist groups in urban Sindh. Without understanding internal dynamics of Pakistan, this approach will only fuel new conflicts in the region and international guardians of terrorists would have to face the music in the coming years.

This house resolves that Sindhis are a courageous nation and they would not tolerate any form of injustice and would resist all these conspiracies with unity and courage. Being fully cognizant of all these facts, Sindhis are capable of protecting the integrity of their historic homeland, their historical rights in spite of all conspiracies and sheer injustice. If any one feels that Sindhis are ignorant of the organized conspiracies against their very existence, they are living in fools’ paradise and any underestimation of Sindhis would result in surprise and shame for its enemies. The house warns urban terrorists and Punjabi dominated establishment that they will have to pay heavy price of this evil game and Sindhi would resist all such conspiracies with all their might.

This house resolves that exploitation of natural resources of Sindh would not be tolerated. We believe that oil, gas, coal, minerals, water and other natural resources of Sindh are the natural endowment of Sindh and therefore Sindhis should have prior right over all benefits accruing from these resources. It is sad to note that the current regime has completely ignored its duty to protect rights of Sindhis over their natural resources. It failed to secure right of people of Sindh over oil and gas fields and also not even meekly resisted federal government’s ruthless efforts to control coal reserves of Sindh. The ministers and elected representatives are busy in running their superstores of postings and transfers whereas sufferings of people of Sindh are crossing all bounds. Sindhis have no share in federal government’s decision and policy making forums whereas provincial government is investing all their energies to please terrorist gangs. Such corrupt and inefficient machinery has created complete mess in the society and people are wandering helplessly.

This house unanimous demands that people of all provinces should have right to vote in their home provinces, and in the forthcoming census they should not be registered in other places, that means people from other provinces should not have right to vote in Sindh and should not be registered in as citizens of the Sindh province.

The house of political workers, intellectuals, civil society representatives resolve to continue their peaceful struggle for national rights of Sindhis as envisaged in the resolution of 23rd March 1940.

10th May 2009

Participating political parties, writers, intellectuals and individuals

Name Designation Party

1. Rasool Bux Palijo Part Chief Awami Tahreek

2. Qadir Ranto President Awami Tahreek

3. Zahida sheikh Central leader Sindhiyani Tahreek

4. Hyder Shahani Vice President Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party (STP)

5. Muzafar Kalhoro Information Secretary STP

6. Mohammad Ayob Shar Central Leader Sindh National Front

7. Zain Shah General Secretary Sindh United Party

8. Dodo Maheri Central Leader Sindh United Party

9. Abdul Khaliq Junejo Chairman Jeay Sindh Mehaz

10. Dr. Safdar Sarki General Secretary Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mehaz (JSQM)

11. Yousuf Masti Khan General Secretary National Workers Party

12. Usman Baloch Central Leader National Workers Party

13. Makhdoom Shah Nawaz Central Leader PML N

14. Ismail Raho Provincial Leader PML N

15. Sardar Rahim Provincial Leader PML N

16. Zain Ansari Central Leader PML N

17. Mumtaz Sehtu Central Leader Jamaat-e-Islami

18. Nawab Mujahid Baloch Central Leader Jamaat-e-Islami

19. Shah Mohd Shah Convenor Save Sindh Movement

20. Azhar Jatoi President Sindh Hari Committee

21. Mujib Pirzado Advocate/forme MNA (PPP)

22. Asif Baladi Nationalist Leader

23. Qadir Jatoi Nationalist Leader

24. Ayaz Latif Palijo Central Leader Awami Tahreek

25. Hafiz Kumbhar Poet & write

26. Jalal Kori Poet

27. Suleman Abro Civil Society activist

28. Advocate Muzafar Sadiq Bhatti, Member Sindh Water Committee

29. Ismail Wasan Member Save Sindh Movement

30. Mushtaq Mirani Intellectual

31. Naseer Memon writer & intellectual

32. Rafiq Mangi Civil Society activist

33. Dr. Rafiq Chandio Associate Professor Sindh University

34. Imdad Chandio Professor Shah Latif University

35. Aijaz Bajir journalist

36. Nazir Memon member Sindh Water Committee

37. Ghulam Mustafa Baloch SPO

38. Zubeda Birwani Women Activist

39. G. N. Mughul Journalist Frointier Post

40. Dr. Mir Amanullah Talpur Save Sindh Movement

41. Syed Alam Shah Central Leader Awami Tahreek

42. Mir Hassan Areesar Poet & writer

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