Before I comment on the topic of this session, let me introduce myself. I represent the World Sindhi Congress, a non-profit organization based in the UK, USA, Canada, and Sindh. The main objective of WSC is to create a better understanding of the disadvantaged status of Sindhis in Pakistan and the Sindhi people’s struggles for their human rights, including the right to self-determination.  World Sindhi Congress collaborates with several organizations working on human rights advocacy, sustainable development, equal rights for women and religious minorities, as well as conflict resolution and peaceful initiatives in Sindh.

Firstly, I offer my deepest grief and condolences to the families and loved ones of those thousands of Americans and citizens of 80 other countries mercilessly killed on September 11th, 2001 in New York and Washington, DC. Sindhis living in the UK, USA, India, and Sindh have expressed their solidarity with the people of the United States and the victims of this unprecedented terrorism.

I also feel deeply sad for all those innocent people who have died as a result of the ongoing war in Afghanistan, most of whom have nothing to do with political or religious agenda of their ruthless government.
All forms of the terrorism should be met with appropriate resistance. However, as an activist and advocate of peace, I believe that we must analyse the historical contexts and policies that have brought us to this war. In what ways have the international community contributed to the conditions that have been so horrifically exploited by Islamist terrorists? What should the United States, the victim of the September 11 attacks, do to stop the cycle of terrorists violence? Can the current “war against terrorism” conducted by the US and its military allies (including the UK) produce a long lasting peace?

People of Sindh   who themselves have been the victims of the religious extremism and ethnic discrimination, are hopeful that the Talibanization of the their region may finally be stopped. However, the United States’ current gestures of friendliness and support to the military dictatorship in Pakistan remind us that this situation of terror and oppression may very well be with us for sometime in Pakistan.

Pakistan's government has performed as an ally in the coalition against terrorism, but we believe that General Musharaf’s support is likely to be very short-lived and may actually be counter-productive.

Musharaf is a self-proclaimed President and Pakistan's current government is a dictatorship. It is no secret, that Pakistan has long been involved in training, sheltering and arming extremist groups. The US State Department's annual report on Patterns of Global terrorism during 2000 released in April 2001 clearly states the Government of Pakistan's increasing support to the Taliban by providing them material, fuel, funding, technical assistance and military advisers. These policies have not only harmed the peoples of Pakistan and neighboring countries but have now reached to harm the people around the globe.

The military establishment of Pakistan thrives on the politics and economics of religious nationalism. Pakistan's military works as a corporation. It includes influential elements that believe in Pan-Islamism. Considering these two factors, it is unlikely that the Pakistani military will change its war strategy with India and create true democratic structures in Pakistan. The very survival of this military corporate structure depends upon the continuation of war. The Pakistani military is truly the omnipotent political and economical force in the country. Today the military sides with the US, but we believe that this is yet another tactic for the perpetuation of its power.

Like several other post- colonial states, Pakistan’s major problem is ethnic imbalance, in power. Pakistan's oppressed nations which include Sindhis, Baloch's, Seraikis and Pathan are being economically, politically and culturally subjugated by the dominant Punjabi ethnic group. The Pakistani military is also dominated by Punjabis.

For the last two decades Sindhis and other progressive forces within Pakistan have protested against religious extremism and oppression against smaller nations, religious minorities and women. Most of our protests were ignored, but there remained some hope. The USA and the UK enforced some limited trade embargoes on Pakistan for its development of nuclear power. The European Union condemned the military dictatorship and called for democratic elections. But now suddenly Pakistan and its fascist regime is being rewarded with billions of dollars. The UK, USA, Japan and other countries are pouring money into the pockets of the Pakistan’s military government.

Even now progressive forces within Pakistan are getting no attention in the western media. For example several Sindh and Balochistan-based parties and groups have openly supported the war against terrorism but we hardly see any coverage of these elements in western media. [Though the Pakistani government has imprisoned Sindhi freedom leaders in the last few weeks and continued the detention of the Sindhi environmental rights activists, the western media failed to report these arrests and other attacks on civil liberties.]

In this climate, we believe that the USA and UK must offer only conditional support to Pakistan, if at all. And in this support they must adhere to the basic principles of justice, human rights and religious tolerance. Here, I would like to propose a few suggestions, which I think as activists we must try to bring to the attention of the public, so that we can convince our governments to make sure that this war against terrorism eliminates the threat to not only the people of the USA and Europe, but the peoples of South Asia, and for that matter, all over the world.

The influx of Afghan refugees creates a tremendous threat to Sindh and Balochistan. Since the recent bombing began, more than 1 million Afghanis have emigrated to Balochistan and Sindh and this move is still on. How will these two regions deal with not only the human migration, but the migration of drugs, weapons and religious extremism? How will these two regions – both sensitive to religious minorities—handle Islamic extremism? In the last ten years the Pakistani establishment and Afghani Taliban have worked together in creating and promoting Pan-Islamism in the region. Sufi secular Sindhis like myself, feel threatened by this scenario.  It is vital that the return of all Afghan refugees is guaranteed in humanitarian fashion. Otherwise, we will see an ethnic and civil war type situation develop in Southern Pakistan.

Now that US and other countries together have promised Pakistan more than one Billion dollars, we must make sure that Pakistani government properly uses this money on social welfare and poverty elimination projects, particularly in Sindh, Balochistan and NWFP--regions most adversely affected by the war. Aid agencies must enforce that the Pakistan administration distributes resources fairly among the provinces - We know from previous experience that these funds are likely to unfairly spent in the Punjab or on the Punjabi dominated army to strengthen its war agenda.

As far as the money donated for repatriation of Afghani refugees is concerned, we request the international community that all arrangements should be directly made by UN to provide food and shelter and eventually the return of displaced Afghans. These responsibilities should not be left in the hands of the Pakistani establishment.

Some political forces in Pakistan believe that the solution to prevent future terrorism activities in this part of the world is to “decentralise Pakistan” and "de-Punjabize" its Army.  A decentralized state would provide stability in the region and peace for its people, neighbors and the west.  Pakistan must be "de-nuclearized" or at the very least the nuclear program must be brought under multi-ethnic control as no system of command and control can be effective over Pakistan's nuclear weapons as long as it resides under one ethnic group—at present the Punjabis.

Sindhi and Baloch freedom groups in Pakistan look forward to joining the struggle against the forces of terrorism and it is imperative that the United States support the Baloch and Sindhi freedom forces to counter the Islamist forces within Pakistan.

Let me summarize that the favours which the Pakistan Government is receiving from the world will further strengthen this military dictatorship and will legitimise the undemocratic laws and policies that are the very cause of the religious intolerance and extremism we are condemning today! Currently, Pakistan has one of the worst records of human right violation. Laws discriminate against religious minorities, women, and smaller nations like the Sindhi and Baloch peoples.

For long-lasting peace and justice in the region and to reduce the terrorism in the World, the USA needs to neutralise Pakistan’s nuclear capability. It must exert pressure on the military government to yield to democratic and progressive norms, and allow the peoples of Pakistan to decide their destiny.  The international community must design that take account of long-term policies, the aspirations of the Sindhi and Baloch peoples and their struggles for self-determination.

Lastly, I would like to finish with the hope that peace may prevail all over the world.
Thank you for listening to me patiently. I once again thank you to you all.
   
       Thank you
       Rubina Shaikh

Organizers: World Sindhi Congress & Baloch Voice (Sindhi Baloch forum) 2.12.01