HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN SINDH, BALOCHISTAN CONFERENCE HELD AT THE UK PARLIAMENT HOUSE

LONDON. [UK]. January 31: A conference of significant and pivotal importance addressing the gross human rights violations in Sindh and Balochistan was held at the UK Parliament House.

The event was attended by representatives of Sindhi and Baloch organisations, as well as a five-member delegation from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) led by founder leader Altaf Hussain.

The MQM delegation included Convener of the Central Coordination Committee Mustafa Azizabadi, Deputy Convener Qasim Ali Raza, MQM UK chapter’s Central Organiser Suhail Khanzada, Legal Advisor Barrister Adil Ghaffar, and Committee’s coordinator Syed Muhammed Majid.

The conference participants shed light on the extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and widespread human rights violations against Baloch, Sindhi, Muhajir, Pashtun, and other ethnic groups and minorities fighting for their rights in Pakistan.

Expressing grave concern over these issues, they called for international attention and intervention.

Addressing the conference, British MP Bob Blackman strongly criticized Pakistan’s human rights record, condemning the government and state institutions for their oppressive policies. He asserted that ethnic groups and religious minorities in Pakistan are systematically denied their fundamental rights and personal security, fueling growing unrest. He urged the attendees to engage with their respective MPs and highlight these issues, ensuring they are brought to the attention of the UK government, the Foreign Office, parliamentary committees, and relevant international forums.

Speaking at the conference, MQM Central Coordination Committee Convener Mustafa Azizabadi detailed the atrocities committed against Muhajirs in Pakistan. He highlighted the systemic discrimination they face across various sectors, the ongoing state-led operations against Mohajirs and their party MQM, and the bans imposed on the party’s founder, Altaf Hussain.

Azizabadi recalled that Muhajirs made immense sacrifices for Pakistan’s creation but were later deprived of their due rights. He stated that when Altaf Hussain established MQM to fight for Mohajir rights, the state launched an aggressive and large scale military operation against the party in 1992, which continues to this day. Thousands of MQM activists have been brutally killed in extrajudicial encounters, hundreds have been forcibly disappeared, and thousands have been arbitrarily detained.

He further pointed out that in September 2015, a media ban was imposed on MQM founder Altaf Hussain, and in 2016, his residence and MQM’s headquarters, commonly known as ‘Nine Zero’, were sealed and later set on fire. Despite being Pakistan’s third-largest political party, MQM faces severe restrictions on its political activities. Even MQM members are barred from paying respects at their martyrs’ memorials.

Azizabadi declared that Pakistan is under a de facto dictatorship where even the judiciary, including the High Courts and the Supreme Court, operates under the influence of the establishment. He urged MP Bob Blackman to ensure that the UK Parliament, widely regarded as the "Mother of Democracy", takes notice of the dire situation and raises its voice for the political and democratic rights of Mohajirs, Baloch, Sindhis, and other persecuted communities.

MQM’s Legal Advisor, Barrister Adil Ghaffar, also addressed the conference, denouncing the media ban on Altaf Hussain as a blatant violation of fundamental rights. He emphasized that both Pakistan’s Constitution and the United Nations Charter guarantee the right to freedom of expression, making the restrictions on Altaf Hussain unlawful and undemocratic. Millions of his followers have been deprived of the opportunity to hear their leader’s voice.

Ghaffar also criticized Pakistan’s newly introduced Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), calling it an authoritarian measure designed to silence dissent and suppress social media. He urged MP Bob Blackman to bring the media blackout on Altaf Hussain to the attention of the UK Parliament and press the Pakistani government for reforms.

MP Blackman Pledges to raise the Issue in UK Parliament

MP Bob Blackman attentively listened to Azizabadi and Barrister Ghaffar’s concerns regarding Muhajir persecution and the media restrictions on Altaf Hussain.

He assured them that he would raise these issues in the UK Parliament and push for international scrutiny of Pakistan’s human rights record.

Other notable speakers included Arif Ajakia from the Asian Human Rights Forum, Khurshid Baloch from the Baloch Human Rights Council, and Dr. Hidayat Bhutto and Hafeezan Wahidu from the World Sindh Congress.

They extensively discussed the deteriorating human rights situation in Sindh and Balochistan, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and the controversial extraction of canals from the Indus River, which has exacerbated local grievances.

At the conclusion of the conference, MQM Convener Azizabadi and Deputy Convener Raza presented MP Bob Blackman with two books authored by Altaf Hussain—My Life Journey, an autobiography, and Israel-Palestine Conflict, which addresses the ongoing Middle East crisis.

The conference underscored the growing concerns over human rights abuses in Pakistan and the urgent need for international intervention to safeguard the rights of persecuted oppressed nations.