E-Paper
Sindhis, Balochis demonstrate in UK
The protest was held outside the Pakistan High Commission in London against the military operations in Balochistan.
A large number of people from Sindh and Balochistan held a protest outside the Pakistan High Commission in London on Saturday against the military operations in Balochistan.
The demonstrators presented a memorandum signed by Kabir Bux Jatoi, Dr Halee Bhatti, Mehran Baluch and Dr Lakhu Luhano to the Pakistan High Commissioner, Dr Maleeha Lodhi.
Jatoi said that the people had demonstrated to make their views known and to express solidarity with the oppressed people of the province, especially those who had been or were threatened with dispossession of their lands or livelihood and or were victims of the military's excessive use of force.
They said that there should be absolutely no mega-dams on the Indus River.
Serious efforts backed by sufficient resources should be made to find alternative solutions to water and energy shortages in the country.
"We express our complete opposition to the government's plan of building mega-dams on the Indus River and misleading the people that it will solve the water problems in the country," the memorandum said.
The protestors also demanded that adequate compensation be given to Sindhis and others who had been adversely affected by existing dams and barrages.
The memorandum objected to the federal government's policy of plundering and depriving the Baloch people of their land and resources by using brutal military force.
"There is no excuse for attacking its own citizens in such a warlike manner that has caused so many innocent deaths and forced thousands of people to leave their homes in search of safety.
We therefore call for an immediate end to ongoing military and paramilitary operations and construction of military cantonments in Balochistan," it said.
