Berlin, April 29 (IANS) Shafi Burfat, Chairman of the Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), on Wednesday drew the attention of the global community to the alarming situation in Pakistan, citing enforced disappearances, political repression, illegal arrests, torture, and the dumping of mutilated bodies of Sindhi political activists and leaders.

Burfat stressed that these actions by the Pakistani authorities "constitute serious violations of internationally recognised human rights principles."

"Recently, JSMM central body leader Roheel Laghari was arrested by state agencies during his political and organisational activities and has since been forcibly disappeared. Earlier, JSMM Central Committee member Saddam Shar was also similarly abducted and disappeared," the Sindhi leader posted on X.

"In addition, senior JSMM leaders Ejaz Gaho, Sohail Bhatti, Pathan Khan Zehrani, Survech Sargani, and Survech Nohani, along with many other Sindhi nationalist political workers, have been arrested at different times and transferred to undisclosed locations. There are serious concerns regarding their safety and well-being," he added.

Burfat highlighted that restrictions have been imposed at the state level on the political activities of the Sindhi national movement, freedom of expression, and the democratic rights of secular nationalist organisations struggling for "national freedom and historical rights".

"The arrest of political activists during peaceful political activities, their detention in secret torture cells, the use of inhuman and degrading treatment against them, and, in several cases, the dumping of mutilated dead bodies on roads constitute grave violations of international human rights standards, the Charter of the United Nations, and international law," the Sindhi leader stated.

Burfat urged the United Nations, international human rights bodies and the international community to take immediate notice of the enforced disappearances of the Sindhi political activists.

He called for urgent steps to ensure the safety and protection of these activists, including Roheel Laghari, Saddam Shar, Ejaz Gaho, Sohail Bhatti, Pathan Khan Zehrani, Survech Sargani, Survech Nohani, and others, who were allegedly forcibly disappeared by Pakistan's military intelligence agency (ISI) following their arrests.

The Sindhi leader further appealed to the international community to urgently take note of state-imposed restrictions on the political existence, human rights, and democratic freedoms of what he described as "historical nations" within Pakistan, including Sindh.

Asserting that the ongoing arrests of political activists form part of the wider repression by the Pakistani authorities, he said, "The existence and survival of these nations are under serious threat. Nations are therefore compelled to continue their struggle for freedom in accordance with international law."

--IANS

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