SINDHI ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA
SANA PRESS RELEASE
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE:
Houston TX, November 11, 2005
SANA supports the national languages' amendment bill
Sindhi Association of North America (SANA) welcomes and fully supports the Constitutional Amendment Bill presented by MNA Abdul Mujib Pirzado in the National Assembly to declare Sindhi, Punjabi, Siraiki, Pushto and Balochi as national languages of the country. A statement issued in USA today said that the amendment is a step in the right direction and would fulfill a longstanding demand of the people of the four federating units of Pakistan.
SANA feels that the five languages spoken by the majority of people in Pakistan should get their rightful place in the country and the government should provide necessary funding and infrastructure for the preservation and promotion of these languages.
SANA appeals to the members of the National Assembly to adopt the amendment bill with an overwhelming majority. It will send a positive message to the people of Pakistan and undo injustices meted out to the indigenous languages and cultures of the country.
Aziz Narejo
President
Sindhi Association of North America
President SANA requests all the list members to please call the MNA's from their areas to support the bill. They should also talk to their friends from other provinces to do the same. The names and phone numbers of the MNA's can be found at the following links:
http://www.pildat.org/MNA/alpha.asp?R=A
http://www.na.gov.pk/members.htm
Washington DC, July 3, 2005
SANA President, Mr. Aziz Narejo addressed a press conference on the
occasion of the 21st Annual SANA Convention on 3rd July in Washington, DC.
Here is the text of the press statement. Later journalists asked some
questions, which were appropriately answered:
Dear friends and colleagues,
We have presented to you the resolutions adopted at the General Body
Session. I won't repeat them here. I would like to emphasize only a few
points. But before that, I would like to talk a little about (SANA) Sindhi
Association of North America.
Friends, SANA is a membership based, democratic, representative and
mainstream organization of Sindhi immigrants in USA and Canada. It is
mainly a social and cultural organization. It is secular in character and
welcomes all the community members irrespective of their faith, belief or
political orientation. We have members that belong to different political
ideologies and also with democratic or republican leanings.
We try to bring together our community here and hold regional gatherings
and annual conventions.
We are not a political organization and neither are we affiliated in any
way with any political party or a group. We have never accepted any
outside funding - and rely on membership dues, community contributions and
sponsorships to meet our expenses.
Having said all that, I would like to emphasize that we follow our bylaws
and the consensus of our community when we comment on political, economic,
social, cultural, human rights and other issues in Pakistan. We firmly
support a secular democratic dispensation in Pakistan and don't want to
see any military role in the civilian affairs. It is our firm belief that
the four federating units of Pakistan should be treated at par and should
have equal stake in the country. Maximum provincial autonomy should be
accorded to them as that is the only safeguard against rather frequent
military takeovers.
We think that direct military rule or military dominated governments are
against the spirit of a "true federation“ actually they are the negation
of the federation thus they undermine the stability and the
integrity of the country. They have proved fatal for the country in the
past and would harm it in the future.
We don't mind who governs the country meaning that a Prime Minister could
be from any province as long as he/she is elected through a credible and
independent election and as long as the establishment or its agencies have
no role in the process.
Through your good offices we demand that democracy should be restored in
Pakistan and the military should go back to barracks and do their duties
as enshrined in the Constitution. Other things we have mentioned in the
resolutions.
Resolutions passed at the 21st. SANA Annual Convention at Washington,
DC
The general body of the Sindhi Association of North America (SANA), during
its 21st. Annual Convention, held from July 1 - 4, 2005, in Washington,
DC, adopts the following resolutions:
1. Political Victimization of Opponents: The general body (GB) of SANA
condemns the highhandedness of the ruling regime of Pakistan in general,
and Sindh in particular. It is a matter of great concern that even a
gentle soul like Jam Saqi is not immune from the terrorization perpetrated
by the present puppet government in Sindh. SANA demands that all the
political and other victimization must end in Pakistan and in Sindh and
the people be allowed their birthright of dissent and freedom of
expression.
2. NFC Award: SANA GB demands that the distribution of financial resources
be made on the basis of revenue generation among other factors and the
policy of appeasement to one particular province at the cost of others be
abandoned forthwith. The GB is concerned that by blocking the just award
of NFC, the federal government of Pakistan is depriving Sindh of its
rightful share of billions of rupees.
3. Priority to education, health: SANA demands drastic cuts to the huge
military budget and diversion of funds to education, health and other
social sector projects.
4. Provincial Autonomy: SANA is of the view that the provincial autonomy
is the core issue in Pakistan and at the center of many ills in the
country. SANA demands that the provinces be granted autonomy according to
the 1940 Resolution.
5. Sindhi should be made National Language: SANA demands that Sindhi be
made one of the national languages of Pakistan besides Punjabi, Siraiki,
Pushto and Balochi.
6. Division of Districts and Towns: The SANA GB reminds the present Chief
Minister of Sindh and his unpopular Sindh Government that their policy of
dividing districts and town to benefit an ethnic group is harming the
permanent interests of the people of Sindh. The GB demands that the policy
to divide the districts, talukas and town on ethnic basis must end as it
will create permanent split in the province and would be harmful for the
peace and harmony.
7. Return to unadulterated Democracy: The SANA GB demands of the military
government of Pakistan to return power to the people, who are sovereign
and the real masters of their destiny. The GB observes that whenever there
is a military government in power, it is always Sindh that has to suffer
the most due to its non-representation in the armed forces. Even now a
number of military officers, are occupying prized positions in Sindh, at
the cost of Sindhi civil servants, and making decisions contrary to the
interest of Sindh.
8. Just Distribution of Water: The SANA GB observes that while the towns
in the NWFP and Punjab provinces are under the threat of submerging due to
floods in Kabul and Indus rivers, not a single drop of water is flowing
downstream from Kotri barrage, thus leaving Badin and other towns of Sindh
in the worst kind of drought. It is due to the highhandedness and unjust
policy of the masters ruling the country with an iron fist that hundreds
of thousands of acres of fertile land in the southern Sindh are turned
into barren, sandy marshes or taken over by the sea. The SANA GB calls
upon the powers that be to abandon the anti-Sindh schemes of Kalabagh and
other dams and stop the construction of Greater Thal Canal forthwith. The
SANA GB warns the government of Pakistan that by continuing with these
anti-Sindhi schemes, it is greatly jeopardizing the unity and integrity of
the federation.
9. Unsafe drinking water: SANA is concerned that a vast majority of the
people don’t have an access to safe drinking water. Most of the sources
of drinking water including the Indus River, canals, lakes and reservoirs
have been poisoned due to the unprocessed drainage of human, industrial
and agricultural waste. SANA demands immediate measures of the provision
of potable water to all the people and compensation to the affectees of
the RBOD and LBOD.
10. Land allotments to Military: SANA demands an end to the allotment of
agricultural, residential and commercial land to the military personnel.
11. Justice through Jirga: The SANA GB condemns the new practice of
endorsement of Jirga system by the government of Sindh in the name of
reconciliation and settlement. The GB reminds the chief minister of Sindh
that the Sindh High Court has outlawed such practices of deciding bloody
feuds by non-judicial people; therefore, by encouraging jirgas he is
committing the contempt of court. The GB demands of the government of
Sindh to stop the illegal practice of Jirga system, continuation of which
will greatly harm the civil society and take the Sindhi people to dark
ages.
12. SANA condemns the government for hushing up the ghastly crime of rape
against Dr Shazia Khalid, a lady doctor in Sui, Balochistan. It demands
that an impartial inquiry be instituted and culprits brought to the
justice. SANA also demands justice to Mukhtaran Mai and other victims.
13. SANA demands protection to minorities in Sindh and Pakistan and stop
atrocities against them.
14. SANA expresses concern over the lawlessness in Sindh and Pakistan and
demands immediate steps to establish the writ of law.
PRESS RELEASE:
Los Angeles, California, February 14th 2004
Sindhi Association of North America, SANA, has expressed solidarity with the people’s struggle in Sindh against the Greater Thal Canal and other mega water projects including the proposed Kalabagh Dam. Mr. Sani Panhwar, president SANA, said in a statement issued here today that the present government’s water policies are creating disharmony in the country. He urged that the government should immediately stop these dangerous and most divisive projects and should instead build a consensus on alternate projects.
Mr. Panhwar cited the multiple resolutions passed by the Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan assemblies against the proposed Kalabagh Dam and the Sindh Assembly resolutions against the Greater Thal Canal. He also mentioned the recent massive rally in Karachi against the Greater Thal Canal and KB Dam. The government should listen to the demands by the JSQM workers staging hunger strike unto death in Karachi and should take immediate steps so no harm comes to any precious life, he said.
Mr. Panhwar demanded that the government should ensure that Sindh gets its due share in water, NFC, employment and development projects. He warned that continuation of injustices would deepen the prevalent crises and would be highly detrimental to the federation.
PRESS RELEASE:
October 5th 2003
SANA Condemns
Assassination of Young Journalist
Los Angeles, CA (USA): Sindhi Association of North America, SANA, has
strongly condemned the killing of a young journalist, Ameer Bux Brohi, in
Shikarpur, Sindh. SANA, in a press statement issued in Los Angeles, CA
today expressed grave concern over the safety of journalists working in a
province, hard hit by lawlessness.
The statement said the situation is extraordinarily precarious in the
North and the Northwest of the province. These parts have specially become
a no go area due to the influence of tribal gangs and the inhuman Jirga
system, in which the crimes are committed by the members of the tribal
Mafia and then these cases are taken to the tribal leaders, who patronize
the criminals.
The SANA spokesman cited the assassination of Shahid Soomro, another young
journalist in Kandhkot, in the Northwest Sindh, last year. The murder case
couldn't go to the courts as his killers belonged to the family of the
influential Bijarani tribe. It was decided by the so-called tribal Jirga.
SANA has demanded the immediate arrest of the assailants of Ameer Bux
Brohi and has called upon the journalist and human rights organizations in
Pakistan and the world over to take the notice of the lawlessness and high
rate of crime in Sindh, where the government has utterly failed to provide
security to the people. There are hundreds of cases of honor killings,
kidnappings for ransom, murders and other heinous crimes reported in
Press.
SANA Spokesperson
USA
PRESS RELEASE:
July 30th 2003
Sindhi Association of North America, SANA, has expresses it’s concern over the news reports suggesting that the Governor and the Chief Minister of Sindh are about to make major concessions on the life-threatening issue of the ‘Greater Thal Canal’, construction of other dams and water projects upstream and the distribution of financial resources among the provinces. SANA, the mainstream organization of Sindhis living in North America, has cautioned the present Sindh leadership against taking any steps that may harm the interests of the people of Sindh.
SANA Spokesperson, commenting on a proposed meeting between the governors and chief ministers of Sindh and Punjab in Lahore on July 30th, said any decisions taken in such a meeting would be unconstitutional and will have no bearing as all the inter-provincial matters are supposed to be discussed in the Council of Common Interests, CCI, according to the Articles 153-155 of the Constitution.
He said the Federal Government should forthwith stop the work on the ‘Greater Thal Canal’ as the people of Sindh have rejected the project and the provincial assembly has passed two resolutions against it. No major water projects should be undertaken without the expressed consent of the people of Sindh, he demanded.
SANA expressed complete solidarity with the Anti Greater Thal Committee in its call for hunger strike against the proposed meeting slated for July 30th. It called on all the people in Sindh to fully support the call made by the AGTCAC and participate in the strike. SANA also called upon the fair-minded people in all the other provinces to stand by the just demand of the people of Sindh.
(Statement read at the joint SANA, WSC, WSI press conference held at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on June 24)
Army rule, a cancer for society
Members of the press corps, ladies and gentlemen,
We are here today to present the case of the people of Sindh and Pakistan who have long been suffering under military regimes. The years of autocratic rule in the country have played havoc with the psyche of the people. The military rulers have introduced large-scale corruption that has damaged and mutilated the face of the society beyond recognition. They have created a class of people, with a vested interest in the continuation of army rule - a worst kind of opportunism with an inborn malice towards democratic set up and disregard for the law of the land and the Constitution.
The history of the armed forces’ invasion of the civil society goes back to the early 1950s when the army under its ambitious commander, General Ayub Khan started to spread its tentacles. General Khan maneuvered to subjugate all branches of the society. He engineered frequent dismissals of the governments and the dissolution of the elected assembly. He finally captured power on 27th October 1958. Since then, army has been ruling the country - for most part through direct rule - and for the remainder – through its proxies, by intimidation and the brute use of the rangers and the intelligence agencies. The present regime is the continuation of that evil scheme of things.
To perpetuate its hegemony, the army has imposed a Unitarian set up, which denies provincial autonomy to the provinces. A large part of the national budget is appropriated for the armed forces exclusive use. To further control the things, a huge demon has been created in the form of ISI, the Inter Services Intelligence agency. First established in 1948, it was strengthened under the army dictators, Ayub Khan and Zia to consolidate the junta role in all the spheres of the society.
We hear of a state within a state or a government within a government but in this case, we have a state ABOVE state and a government ABOVE government. ISI, which has grown too big for its boots, is no longer answerable to anybody. The result is that there has been no real supervision of the ISI. Corruption, narcotics, and big money have all come into play, further complicating the political scenario. Drug money has been used by ISI to finance not only the previous Afghanistan war, but also the other ongoing proxy wars. It has large sums of money at its disposal, which are used very effectively to enforce ironclad hold over society in the country and create mischief elsewhere.
It were the intelligence agencies, which created and supported fundamentalist forces in the country. These forces have continuously been used against the secular and democratic forces. Later they were also used to train ‘Mujahideen’ for wars abroad. And now one of their utilities is to create a ruse to blackmail the United States and other western countries.
ISI’s Political wing with enormous resources at its disposal, has been used to manage, or in other words, rig all the elections held since 1980s in order to deny the popular, secular, democratic political forces any effective role in the affairs of the state. The formation of Islami Jamhoori Ittehad, IJI, in 1988, to defeat and or to contain the Pakistan Peoples Party of Benazir Bhutto and the distribution of huge amounts of money to achieve that goal, have been acknowledged by former ISI operatives.
Ladies and Gentlemen: Pakistan happens to be situated right in the heart of a very sensitive part of the world. A war on terrorism is underway in Afghanistan and within Pakistan's own borders. Its next door neighbors in Central Asia claim huge oil and gas reserves. An outlet, a pipeline, to carry natural gas, could pass through Pakistan. It has countries like Iran, India and China surrounding it. And then there is its proximity to Russia, the Persian Gulf and the Middle East.
I fail to understand how such an important country has been left to a highly unstable government? That is what Musharraf government is a government based on fraud and illegality. An artificial set up. A general, who was dismissed by a Prime Minister, instead of respecting his authority, staged a coup against the government. He committed high treason according to the Article 6 of the Constitution and imposed himself on the country without any mandate.
This shaky government, which has no roots in the ground, can perish in thin air at any time leaving behind a great mess as such governments have in the past. This government is creating divisions in the country and pushing it to destruction and disintegration as such governments have in the past. This government can bring wars and sufferings to the people as all the past wars there have been fought under military governments. How can such an unstable government serve the interests of peace? Interests of the civilized world?
Ladies and Gentlemen: The majority of the people of Pakistan consider the present government and the army rule as a cancer for the society. All the political parties worth a name want a return to democracy, provincial autonomy and restoration of the 1973 constitution in its original form. They are protesting in the parliament and the provincial assemblies and marching on the streets. The lawyers, as the other sections of the society, have categorically rejected the whimsical “Legal Framework Order”, the LFO, issued by dictator Musharraf, unilaterally amending the constitution.
The regime is unleashing state power to silence all the opposition. It has arrested, tortured, kidnapped and imprisoned elected representatives of the people. The regime has denied basic human rights to the people. It has curbed the press freedom. It uses all the means to keep the media in line! It uses high-handed methods when some journalists stand up and refuse to bow down. Such journalists are manhandled by the plain-clothes men, a code word for ISI thugs.
Some incidents to point out are the recent resignation of the editor of weekly Independent. The editor, a courageous journalist, who refused to cower down, was pressured to resign from his paper, which subsequently changed its policy. Supporting the regime now! Another case in point is that of a senior journalist, former Chief Correspondent of Pakistan’s leading English daily newspaper ‘Dawn’ and ex-editor of daily ‘The News’, another major newspaper from Pakistan. When he exposed the corruption in the government, he was forced to resign. That courageous journalist, Mr. Shaheen Sehbai, started a weekly Internet newspaper, satribune here in USA. As he continued exposing the real face of this so-called clean government, his relatives were maltreated in Pakistan. False cases were registered against one of his relatives. And now the government has blocked his paper through the servers over which the government has monopoly in the country.
Ladies and Gentlemen: I think the crimes of the dictators should be considered as crimes against humanity. And with shrinking international borders, if SARS doesn’t take too long to reach the shores of North America, so may these crimes against humanity. They may affect the polity in the civilized world and may endanger the institutions here as well.
I would ask you to consider just one scenario: I know it is unthinkable but just for the sake of making a point: suppose one fine morning an army general captures power in a civilized country, imposes Martial Law and changes the constitution at will. And then think of a foreign country that supports, protects and does business with that general. What would you think of that country, which is supporting and protecting the usurper? Unfortunately, that is exactly the perception that the people of Pakistan have about the United States’ support to all the military dictatorships in that unfortunate land!
In my opinion, the policy makers of this nation, would do a lot good to their long term objectives if they would elect to side with the people of Pakistan – the democratic forces in the country - instead of supporting and protecting the corrupt to the core military officers, who by now are universally despised in the country. And one should not forget that anybody seen doing business with them wouldn’t earn friendship of the common men - that is the men and women on the street.
In the end, I would like to request members of the media, the think tanks, the intellectuals, the government and all the pro-democracy people to come to the aid of the people of Sindh and Pakistan. Please extend a hand of real friendship to the people – not to the army men, who have become parents of all the ills in Pakistan and have occupied every thing of value in the country: They are of course the military bureaucracy but now they are the civilian bureaucracy as well. They have become the feudals, the industrialists, the businessmen, the traders, the diplomats, the owners of prize real estate, smugglers of the contraband and most of all the armed Mafia!
The people of Sindh and those of many other parts of Pakistan don’t want a big army. They don’t want the arms race in the region. They don't want the dirty bombs. They don’t want any chemical or atomic weapons.
Ladies and Gentlemen: so many people have said it for so many times, but I would still like to repeat it that the people of Sindh and Pakistan don't ask for the stars or the moon. They just want to live in peace with rights that are taken for granted in the civilized, democratic world. They want a rightful, dignified place in the comity of nations. Let's help them achieve that achievable goal.
Thanks
Lawndale CA
June 17, 2002
People in Sindh are facing
unprecedented hardships in all spheres of life. They have been denied basic
human rights, opportunities in economic development and due share in national
resources. The most lethal injustice is being committed against them in the
shape of the construction of illegal 'Greater Thal Canal' and denial of its due
share in NFC award.
In these circumstances, it is heartening to know that political forces and other
people belonging to different sections of society in Sindh are coming together
to launch a decisive struggle against the construction of Greater Thal Canal.
The Sindhi Association of North America, SANA expresses its solidarity with the
people of Sindh, who are engaged in democratic struggle for their rights.
In the same spirit, SANA has joined hands with other two organizations in North
America, WSC and WSI to hold a press conference at the National Press Club in
Washigton, DC and to stage a rally the same day in the capital to coincide with
the visit there by dictator Musharraf, whose government has surpassed all the
records of injustices against the people of Sindh.
SANA appeals all the Sindhis and other peace loving, pro-democracy people living
in Washington, DC area to attend in big numbers the press conference and the
rally. The timings of both the events are as follows:
9-10 AM Press Conference
The National Press Club, 529 14th Street, NW, 13th
Floor, Zenger Room, (202) 662-7500
12 NOON-2 PM Rally & Protest
McPherson Square, 15th & H Streets, NW
SANA has arranged another rally in Los Angeles during the presence of Pakistani
dictator in the city to highlight the plight of Sindh and Sindhis. The
details of the rally will be communicated shortly.
Mohammad Ali Mahar
General Secretary, SANA
Lawndale CA
November 12, 2002
SANA Condemns Attempts by Government, Local Elders to Protect Murderers of shaheed Shahid Soomro
Sindhi Association of North American (SANA) while mourning the tragic death of a brave journalist, Shahid Soomro at the hands of the sons of a Bijarani Sardar, condemns in the strongest terms the attempts by the local ‘elders’ to coerce the relations of Shahid Soomro into an out of court settlement through a so-called Jirga in order to protect the murderers.
SANA deplores that the jirga system, which used to be an excellent tool for the poor to get quick and timely justice in the days bygone, has become an instrument in the hands of mighty in Sindh to pressurize and punish the weak and protect rich and powerful.
SANA finds it unfortunate that those who should have been in the vanguard of justice have started to serve as petty brokers for the local waderas in case of Shahid Soomro’s murder.
SANA also condemns the callous attitude of the governments of Pakistan and Sindh -- which left no stone unturned to unearth the criminals involved in the murder of Daniel Pearl, an American journalist, but have adopted a criminal indifference in case of a Sindhi journalist’s murder. SANA finds both governments guilty of ineptitude in that they have failed to protect lives and property of common man in Sindh and as a result dacoities, rape, and kidnapping have become the order of the day. SANA condemns the government for not taking notice of the connivance of the local police which is playing hand-in-glove with the Bijarani feudal lords and trying to favor the murderers of the martyred journalist.
SANA assures the relatives of shaheed Shahid Soomro, who have heroically avowed not to rest until the murderers are taken to the gallows, of its fullest support and heartily congratulates them for the brave resistance that they have put up against the intimidating and coercive attempts of the supporters of the killers to pressurize them into a settlement in the name of jirga.
Mohammad Ali Mahar
General Secretary,
Sindhi Association of North America (SANA) IN ACROBAT
Lawndale, CA
October 1, 2002
Mr. Ali Kazi
Kawish Television Network
Hyderabad, Sindh
SANA Congratulates Kawish on Launching of KTN.
Dear Mr. Kazi
On behalf of Sindhi Association of North America (SANA) it is my privilege to congratulate the Kawish team on launching of the first ever Sindhi television channel, Kawish Television Network (KTN). The need for such a strong medium to give a voice to the otherwise underrepresented people of the Sindh was being felt for a very long time.
Keeping in view the strong bias of the official Pakistani electronic media against the regional languages and cultures, especially Sindhi, we hope that KTN will be able to bring to the world the hidden and still unexplored cornucopia of this one of the most arresting cultures of the world as well as provide better and unhindered opportunities for the local artistry to exploit their full potential. We also hope that the channel will resist all undemocratic moves of the government might to block the truth and present without fear or favor a clear and untainted picture of the events unfolding in the Sindh.
SANA considers launching of KTN channel, especially at the time when Sindh needs its voice to be heard by the whole world loudly and clearly, as a vital step in the right direction and thanking the Kawish team once again extends the full hand of cooperation.
Mohammad Ali Mahar
General Secretary,
Sindhi Association of North America (SANA) IN ACROBAT
Lawndale, CA
October 1, 2002
Sindhi Association of North America (SANA) condemns in the strongest possible terms the conspiracy hatched by the undemocratic regime in Pakistan to build Akhori Dam - a new dam of the same magnitude as the condemned Kalabagh Dam on the River Indus. SANA would like to remind the people of Pakistan that such unilateral and unjustifiable decisions taken by the self appointed rulers of the country to appease only one set of people have harmed the harmony among the peoples and hampered the solidarity of Pakistan in the past and will not bode well for the future of the country.
In a situation where once fertile lands in Sindh have been turned barren due to illegal construction of dams and canals in the upstream areas in northern Pakistan; due to unfair distribution of Indus water by the people manning WAPDA and IRSA; and due to a powerful military lobby trying desperately to irrigate their lands in Thal and Cholistan desert at Sindh’s cost, we consider the construction of a new dam a fatal blow to the life and agriculture in Sindh. In a situation where even the drinking water has become scarce in some areas of Sindh, the construction of a gigantic storage reservoir will only mean death to the already famine-stricken Sindh.
SANA strongly objects to the manner in which such important decision are taken at the whims of one group of persons in blatant disregard to the wishes of the people of Sindh and other smaller provinces. SANA call upon the justice-loving people of Pakistan to resist such divisive moves of the undemocratic and repressive regime with full might and raise their voice in unison with that of Sindhi people so that a message could be delivered to the dictators that the rights of the Sindhi people shall be protected at all cost.
Mohammad Ali Mahar
General Secretary,
Sindhi Association of North America (SANA) IN ACROBAT
April
10, 2001
CONGRATULATIONS!
PROUD CHILDREN OF SINDH: SANA'S SINDH RIGHTS COMMITTEE COMMENDS LONG MARCH
FOR SINDH RIGHTS AND CONDEMNS BRUTAL TREATMENT BY PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT.
Arlington,
TX, USA, APRIL 10, 2001 -- Sindhi Association of North America's Sindh
Rights Committee (SANA's SRC), congratulates Sindhiani Tahreek, Awami
Tahreek and its leaders Jeeji Zareena Baloch and Rasool Bux Palijo and all
participants and supporters of long march for triumphant conclusion of
their first phase of historic journey. Sindhi community of North America
and SANA's Sindh Rights Committee are resolved to maintain their
solidarity with Sindhi people's democratic struggle for their individual
and collective human rights.
Iqbal
Tareen, Chairman, Sindh Rights Committee (SRC) assured that Sindhis living
in North America are committed to support any initiative which ENSURES
IMPLEMENTATION OF INDUS WATER DISTRIBUTION BASED ON SINDH-PUNJAB AGREEMENT
OF 1945 AND PREVENTS CONSTRUCTION OF ANY STRUCTURE INCLUDING KALABAGH DAM
OR SIMILAR DAMS CAUSING WATER PIRACY BY UPPER RIPARIAN OF PUNJAB AND
OBSTRUCTION OF FREE FLOW OF RIVER INDUS TO LOWER RIPARIAN OF SINDH.
SANA's
SRC condemns Pakistani police for barbaric treatment of Sindhi leader Mr.
Palijo and inhuman violence against women and small children who were
peacefully exercising their God given right of assembly and freedom of
speech. Inflicting injuries on baby Soonhan Gopang, Sindhi veteran leader
Rasool Bux Palijo, Peeral Bhano, Ponam Menghawar and other peaceful
protesters manifests the inherent cowardliness of the dictatorial regime
in
Mr.
Tareen said that the Sindhi people have reached their threshold of
patience. The constant provocation of Sindhi people will result into an
avalanche of anger never witnessed before. SRC
also warned that continued violations of Sindh's primary right over the
Indus water ownership will lead to an irreversible tragedy in South Asia.
No one else but the poor governance, greed of the ruling classes and the
dictatorship of the majority will be held responsible for the future
losses.
Mr.
Tareen demanded immediate release of all prisoners of conscience including
those arrested in the long march. SANA's SRC also demanded
Media
Contact:
Email: anarejo@prodigy.net
Ma
Sindhi
Association of North America is outraged at the recent government action
against peaceful demonstrations in Sindh and other parts of the country.
SANA declares its complete solidarity with the united struggle of Sindhi
people for their historic national rights and against unfair distribution
of economic and natural resources in the country. SANA strongly believes
in the restoration of democracy and provincial autonomy in Pakistan based
on a historic covenant of 1940 Lahore Resolution.
We demand
that all imprisoned leaders Rasool Bux Paleejo, Wishnoo Mal of Awami
Tahreek (AT), Dodo Maheri of Sindh National Party (SNP), Abrar Kazi of
Sindh Democrats Party (SDP), Zahida Shaikh of Sindhiani Tahreek (ST),
Muhammad Rahimoon of Jeeay Sindh Qaoumi Muhaz (JSQM), Hakeem Zangejo of
Sindhi Shagird Tahreek (SST) and Hiader Mallah of Sindh Taraqi Passand
Party (STP) and hundreds of workers be released and freedom of speech and
assembly be restored immediately.
SANA
supports 4-point struggle of oppressed Sindh against acute water shortage,
arrests of political leaders and workers, district govt. plan and
unemployment. SANA also supports the call of "Sindh Solidarity
Day" which is being observed on March 26, 2001.
SANA
President, Mr. Sani Panhwar assured imprisoned Sindhi leadership of his
organization's support for unity amongst all overseas Sindhi
organizations. He mentioned that SANA has already taken very important
steps by establishing SINDH RIGHTS COMMITTEE under chairmanship of former
SANA president Mr. Iqbal Tareen. SINDH RIGHTS COMMITTEE has issued a call
for united action of all overseas Sindhi organizations to support current
struggle in Sindh. We have received positive response from various
individuals and groups. It is SANA's goal to invite all Sindhi parties and
groups to arrange an inclusive All Sindhi "Meeting of Minds"
during its annual convention in July, 2001. The objective of this
gathering will be to determine common grounds for combined future
initiatives.
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