'Plight of missing persons have increased': NGO highlights issue of enforced disappearances in Pakistan during UN meeting
Feb 20, 2021
Washington [US], February 20 : The World Sindhi Congress (WSC), an NGO, had a virtual meeting with the United Nations Working Group on Involuntary or Enforced Disappearances, wherein they agreed to make a more concerted efforts to raise the International Community's understanding of the issue of enforced disappearances in Pakistan and find more ways to help release the missing Sindhi human rights defenders.
A delegation of the WSC, a human right organisation for Sindhi people, informed and updated the United Nations working group about the continued practise of enforced disappearances of the Sindhi people and provided the updated list of the missing Sindhi person.
"UN Working Group Shows Concern over the Cases of the Missing Persons in #Sindh. A delegation of the World Sindhi Congress (WSC) had a video meeting with the UN Working Group on Involuntary or #EnforcedDisappearances (#WGEID) during the 123rd Session of the Group on 18th Feb," the World Sindhi Congress tweeted.
"The delegation informed and updated the WGEID about the continuing practice of enforced disappearances of the Sindhi people," it further tweeted.
Enforced disappearances of hundreds of Sindhis have been a cause of concern for the Sindhi community. While interacting with the media recently, some of the victims' families narrated how they were brutally thrashed before their respective members who were forcibly being taken away.
Frequent protests are being held in different cities and towns of Sindh province to highlight the atrocities committed by the security agencies in the knowledge of the federal government.
The delegation thanked the group for their efforts in taking some cases on an urgent basis with the Pakistan government that might have resulted in the release of some missing #Sindhi persons.
"WSC provided the updated list of the missing Sindhi person and reported that while recognizing the pattern and plight of missing persons have increased, In the given situation, WGEID is an excellent source of hope," the WSC tweeted.
"It was agreed to make a more concerted effort and continue communication to raise the International Community's understanding and find more ways to help release the missing Sindhi human rights defenders," the NGO tweeted.
A large number of political activists, intellectuals, women and children in Pakistan's Balochistan province are victims of enforced disappearances by the security agencies.
Many of them are languishing in detention centres whereas mutilated bodies of some of these abducted Balochs are found in isolated places.
The international community and the United Nations have so far failed to push the Pakistani state authorities to address the issue of enforced disappearances.
The families of the victims have lost faith in the Pakistani government and its state institutions. Parents of the victims have perished during these series of protests and the long wait for justice lasting for years.
