JST demands Sindh's independence from Punjab's 'occupation' - thenews.com.pk
Karachi
The president of the Jeay Sindh Tehreek (JST), Dr Safdar Sarki, has demanded an independent Sindhu Desh and appealed to the international community to support their cause for the welfare of the people of the province.
"The Sindhi nation has been waiting for the last 64 years to secure independence since Punjab has assumed all the powers of the federation, including civil bureaucracy, military and judiciary, while all the resources of Sindh have been placed at the disposal of Islamabad." He said this while addressing a "million march against the enslavement of Sindh" on MA Jinnah Road here on Sunday.
"Sindhis have become an oppressed entity and their dignity is being violated, but we are freedom fighters and stand for the nationhood of Sindhi people as enshrined in Article 55 of the United Nations Charter," he said, adding: "During all these occupation years Sindhis have been deprived of their fundamental rights to decide their fate and destiny and to utilise their resources for their welfare and prosperity."
Sarki said that Sindh could not prosper unless it achieved complete independence "from the occupation of Punjab". He said Punjab had two options — either to accept the independence of Sindh and Balochistan or face its own enslavement at the hands of regional and international forces. "We have been suffering slavery and would not like to see even our enemy suffer the same fate since we are humanists and conscientious people."
Sarki said the time was ripe for Punjab to realise the truth by accepting "the equality and independence of Sindh" and remain a good neighbour since the Sindhis could no more be hoodwinked by the so-called National Finance Commission or the National Reconciliation Ordinance or the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
He alleged that Punjab had created the MQM (Muttahida Qaumi Movement) in Sindh in order to suppress what he called "a wave of independence of Sindh". "The MQM played to the tune of its masters by exploiting peaceful Urdu-speaking Sindhis for its petty power interests and by putting their future at stake."
He said that as like Punjab, the MQM was also in a deep crisis, and asked the Urdu-speaking Sindhis to realise that their future lay with Sindh and not with the MQM. "Do not forget the plight of Beharis in Bangladesh, who fought against indigenous Bengali people but are now passing a miserable life in refugee camps," he said.
"If you make Sindh your motherland, you will have all the rights as like Sindhi-speaking people and even your language and community interests will be protected," he added. The JST leader appealed to the international community, democratic forces and freedom-loving people to support the genuine struggle of the secular and democratic Sindhi people in order to bring to an end "the yoke of slavery". "Such a support will also help build peace and prosperity at international level," he claimed.
Criticising the British rule in the subcontinent, he said that Sindh badly suffered due to the one-unit policy and the same policy was later imposed by Punjab in 1955 when Sindh again suffered and became "a hostage of Lahore".
Sarki said that the JST had already announced a complete boycott of the next general election. He added that his party would hold peaceful rallies against such "pseudo" polls in order to prepare the masses for launching a freedom struggle for Sindh.
"This would be our first major step towards attaining freedom and this march will be the beginning of an end to the occupation and enslavement of our motherland Sindh and our nation."
The address, which was scheduled for 2pm, started at around 6pm, as JST activists, mostly youngsters, took control of the security arrangements while carrying different types of weapons. Vehicular traffic was diverted to adjoining arteries of the venue in order to avert any untoward situation
Karachi
The president of the Jeay Sindh Tehreek (JST), Dr Safdar Sarki, has demanded an independent Sindhu Desh and appealed to the international community to support their cause for the welfare of the people of the province.
"The Sindhi nation has been waiting for the last 64 years to secure independence since Punjab has assumed all the powers of the federation, including civil bureaucracy, military and judiciary, while all the resources of Sindh have been placed at the disposal of Islamabad." He said this while addressing a "million march against the enslavement of Sindh" on MA Jinnah Road here on Sunday.
"Sindhis have become an oppressed entity and their dignity is being violated, but we are freedom fighters and stand for the nationhood of Sindhi people as enshrined in Article 55 of the United Nations Charter," he said, adding: "During all these occupation years Sindhis have been deprived of their fundamental rights to decide their fate and destiny and to utilise their resources for their welfare and prosperity."
Sarki said that Sindh could not prosper unless it achieved complete independence "from the occupation of Punjab". He said Punjab had two options — either to accept the independence of Sindh and Balochistan or face its own enslavement at the hands of regional and international forces. "We have been suffering slavery and would not like to see even our enemy suffer the same fate since we are humanists and conscientious people."
Sarki said the time was ripe for Punjab to realise the truth by accepting "the equality and independence of Sindh" and remain a good neighbour since the Sindhis could no more be hoodwinked by the so-called National Finance Commission or the National Reconciliation Ordinance or the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
He alleged that Punjab had created the MQM (Muttahida Qaumi Movement) in Sindh in order to suppress what he called "a wave of independence of Sindh". "The MQM played to the tune of its masters by exploiting peaceful Urdu-speaking Sindhis for its petty power interests and by putting their future at stake."
He said that as like Punjab, the MQM was also in a deep crisis, and asked the Urdu-speaking Sindhis to realise that their future lay with Sindh and not with the MQM. "Do not forget the plight of Beharis in Bangladesh, who fought against indigenous Bengali people but are now passing a miserable life in refugee camps," he said.
"If you make Sindh your motherland, you will have all the rights as like Sindhi-speaking people and even your language and community interests will be protected," he added. The JST leader appealed to the international community, democratic forces and freedom-loving people to support the genuine struggle of the secular and democratic Sindhi people in order to bring to an end "the yoke of slavery". "Such a support will also help build peace and prosperity at international level," he claimed.
Criticising the British rule in the subcontinent, he said that Sindh badly suffered due to the one-unit policy and the same policy was later imposed by Punjab in 1955 when Sindh again suffered and became "a hostage of Lahore".
Sarki said that the JST had already announced a complete boycott of the next general election. He added that his party would hold peaceful rallies against such "pseudo" polls in order to prepare the masses for launching a freedom struggle for Sindh.
"This would be our first major step towards attaining freedom and this march will be the beginning of an end to the occupation and enslavement of our motherland Sindh and our nation."
The address, which was scheduled for 2pm, started at around 6pm, as JST activists, mostly youngsters, took control of the security arrangements while carrying different types of weapons. Vehicular traffic was diverted to adjoining arteries of the venue in order to avert any untoward situation
