SAPAC SINDH Sindhi American Political Action

Committee V O L U

GUARDIAN M E

7 ,

I S S U E

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Photo courtesy of Emmanuel Guddu of Sindh @guddupakistani

P R E V I E W

CONTINUED HUMAN STATE OF HEALTH SINDHI HERITAGE RIGHTS ABUSES AND EDUCATION AND LANGUAGE

ABOUT THIS ISSUE Volume 7 Issue 1 of the Sindh Guardian was a collaborative effort in early Spring 2020 by the Sindhi American Political Action Committee team. The issues that we write about are not an object of a distant past, but ongoing. Few people know of Sindh or its persecuted indegenous communities and it is our duty to spread awareness.

Authors and Contributors

Ayia Ghazy Ayia Ghazy is a senior at University of North Florida studying Political Science with a minor in Criminal Justice. Her interest in politics first came about because of experiencing first-hand the contempt of the Egyptian people towards the police force and the government, after years of violations and discrimination. After graduation she plans on getting her Master’s degree in either International Relations or Criminal Justice.

Billy Hackett Billy is an undergraduate senior at the University of Florida pursuing two Bachelor's of Arts in Political Science and International Studies with a regional focus in Latin America. He is intrigued by the intersectionality of geopolitical issues that derive from a common power structure and is passionate about empowering margianalized people, whether domestic or abroad.

Christine Sifre Christine is a senior at Framingham State University in Massachusetts studying political science. While living aboard she developed an aspiration to work in human rights and women's rights focusing on international conflict resolutions. She is excited to look into a graduate program that involves conflict resolutions and making the world just a little bit kinder each day.

The views in this publication belong to individuals and do not necessarily represent the views of SAPAC. TABLE OF CONTENTS

Hum an Rights Abuses 04 Tortured: The Families Left Behind

06 Forced Conversions in Sindh

10 Blasphemy Case of Notan Lal

13 Law Enforcement in Sindh

Edu ction and Health

17 System of Education in Sindh

20 Sindh Basic Education Program

22 Rabies Outbreak in Sindh

Heritage and Language

25 Sindhi Heritage & Culture

29 Victorious: Preserving the Sindhi language

31 Letters to the Editor

33 Congressional Sindh Caucus

34 References continued HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES winner” for his family, who a number of surgeries. They wonder TORTURED: continues to grieve his if he has clean water and food to eat, disappearance. the lack of which could put his life in THE FAMILIES danger. Dayo’s sister reached out to the LEFT BEHIND Sindhi American Political Action Do you know why your brother was targeted? Enforced Disappearances Committee a number of weeks ago, a move she describes as the family’s “We don’t know why Insaf Ali was Written by Billy Hackett last hope to reunite with Insaf Ali taken, neither was it revealed by the Imagine that you are at work on a Dayo. The following question and abducting people.” day like any other when a group of answer session between myself and armed strangers– a number in Dayo’s sister was conducted over The family had no idea if Insaf Ali military uniforms, others in civilian WhatsApp, with a number of voice Dayo had any connection to politics, clothing– suddenly take you away messages loosely interpreted by and could not see a clear reason as from everything that you know. Fatima Gul, SAPAC’s Executive to why he was targeted. His sister learned only after his abduction that Imagine being a mother whose son Director. years before, when this 30-year-old just suddenly disappears, worried man was in 9th or 10th grade, he had that first night when their son does What was your reaction when you been engaged in some way with a not return home but changed found out that your brother had Sindhi nationalist political party. forever when a night turns into disappeared? Perhaps he had engaged with the months, or even years. “We were shocked to know about party in an official capacity or had this incident.” just been spending time with people For thousands of people in Sindh, in the party, but that– when Dayo with that number increasing each It was a young boy who worked for was a child– seems to be the only day, this is not a mental exercise in Insaf Ali Dayo and ran from the connection to political activity that relative privilege– this is reality. scene of the abduction to deliver the would make him a target. Who takes them? Where do they go? news to his family: “Some people

Who can be trusted? Will they ever came and took Insaf away.” This was How has this affected your life or return? tragic news, to say the least, in the that of your family? midst of Rammadan. Dayo’s sister “His forced disappearance has Insaf Ali Dayo, a 30-year-old Sindhi immediately went to see if there was ruined our family and snatched all from Lakarna, Sindh, was forcibly anything that she could do, but our happiness.” disappeared on May 29, 2017– because the scene was clear by the

almost three years ago. The time that she arrived she settled for Their mother, an elderly woman abduction was carried out at the asking everyone in the area what who lives with diabetes and victim’s tailor shop by three they had seen. hypertension (high blood-pressure), uniformed policemen and three has not fared well since the others in civilian clothing, who beat Insaf Ali Dayo was not in the best abduction. Her condition is very and blindfolded Dayo before health at the time of his abduction, serious now, having suffered a heart forcing him into their white vehicle and that remains their largest attack with three blocked vessels as at approximately 11 AM. This concern for him. He had kidney well as pulmo tuberculosis. Dayo’s unmarried man was the only “bread- issues and had been recovering from sister, for her part, has been

experiencing Sindh Guardian | 4

depression since her brother was taken, and a younger This proclamation was followed by experiences of sister has many kidney stones. His younger brother has how the social fabric of daily life has changed in not been doing well, either. Insaf Ali Dayo was the only Sindh. “A lot” of young boys, from 17 to 25, are being source of income for the entire family, so even without abducted. There is a feeling of despair in the face of factoring in the costs of increased medical attention this inescapable reality, and while countless families they are suffering financially from his disappearance. are affected by these disappearances either directly or through association there is no one to help them. Sindhi families are in a painful place, where they do "In all of our lives we have never not know if their loved ones are OK, or if they will been in a situation like this... this is ever return; it is like torture, except not the physical torture that many of these young victims endure. the most painful time in our lives. I cannot explain how this has SAPAC continues to tell the story of Insaf Ali Dayo in meetings with affected all of our lives, of my Members of Congress, asking that they siblings, and of my mother..." highlight this case.

Special thanks to the sister of Insaf Ali How have you organized to get your brother released? Dayo (below) for sharing her personal Have you heard anything from law enforcement or the story. May her bravery and that of her government? family set her brother free. “Police officials have been denying their involvement in [the] disappearance of Insaf Ali…”

After hearing that Insaf Ali Dayo had been forcibly disappeared, they began to organize. They arranged protests at the Lakarna press club on a daily basis and recorded their protests. They sent appeals and complaints to public officials. They met with local police officials who denied involvement with the incident, asking for their help to recover Dayo. The police say that there was no record of Dayo having ever committed any crime that warranted his abduction. They even filed a petition in High Court Lakarna through a senior advocate. They mobilize alongside other people who have had family members abducted. It has been almost three years, and they have heard nothing back despite these efforts.

How has Sindh changed since these abductions began? “We don’t know about any changes in Sindh. We do not belong to politics.”

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move to other cities in Pakistan or Multiple religious institutions, FORCED even leave Pakistan and move to seminaries and local mosques do India (2). Furthermore, state not succeed in investigating the age CONVERSIONS institutions do not provide of the bride and the nature of the minorities any protection or access conversion and most of the time to justice. In other words, Pakistan’s they just take the words of the IN SINDH kidnapper. Other institutions like Religious Persecution Human Rights Commission said that police officers usually turn a blind Minhaj-ul-Quran, offer rewards for Written by Ayia Ghazy eye to the reports of abductions and successful conversions to encourage forced conversions. Therefore, they the practice of converting The Issue of Forced Religious exempt perpetrators from being individuals of minority Conversions in Sindh punished or being held accountable communities. They as well claim Evidence presented by many for their actions. In addition, police that this practice is equivalent to academics, journalists and Non- officers will either falsify Haj-e-Akbari, or a Muslim’s greatest governmental organizations show information or refuse to record First religious duty (1). that kidnappings and forced Information Reports. As a result, religious conversions are the most they are turning down a family’s serious issues that Sindhi Hindu only chance to take their case any and Christian girls and women face. further (1). Furthermore, Pakistan’s In the majority of the forced higher and lower courts have never conversion cases, minor girls are succeeded in following the abducted then they are subjected to procedures in the cases of forced physical and emotional abuse. This conversions and forced marriages. usually involves threatening them of To clarify, the judiciary is often violence against their family and being threatened and intimidated Protest against Forced Conversion loved ones (1). Despite the fact that, by religious extremists and most of in 1947 when Pakistan was created the time, police officers’ personal Hindu and Christian Today, as a Muslim state, the founder of the beliefs influence them to believe the Muslim Tomorrow country Mohammed Ali Jinnah, claims that abducted girls and Hindus constitute about 2 percent of stated that all religious minorities women have converted to Islam Pakistan’s population which is must have the freedom to live in willingly. They ignore the age of approximately 200 million people. It Pakistan and practice their faith. these girls, and they do not is estimated that each year about Nowadays, Pakistan is an Islamic investigate the circumstances under 1000 girls and women from religious Nationalist state, where the state which conversions took place. minorities are kidnapped, forcibly strongly believes in its interests that Converted girls and women are converted to Islam and then forced it excludes the interests of others, in usually left in the custody of their to get married to their kidnappers. this case Sindh province. In The majority of the time the kidnappers during the whole trial addition, religious groups are an kidnappers are triple the girls’ age, process where they are subjected to intimidating force and religious have already been married before more threats, to force them to deny minorities have almost no voice in and have children. In addition, the that they were abducted and raped the society. Hindus are also being majority of the reported cases of and to claim that they willingly forced to leave their villages and religious forced conversions are converted (1). from the Sindh province, as it is the

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home of 90 percent of Pakistan’s Hindu population (5). To illustrate, on the Holi day, two sisters, in Daharki, a To exemplify, 16-year-old Ravita Meghwar was a Sindhi city in Ghotki district of Sindh, Reena Meghwar (15) and Hindu girl who lived in a village. Now, she is a married to Raveena Meghwar (13), disappeared from their house. a Muslim, and her new name is Gulnaz Shah. Her family believes that her abductors drugged them and then kidnapped their daughter. She then was forcibly converted to Islam and was forced to say that it was her will to run away in order to get married (2). Meghwar’s case would have gone unreported if it was a decade or two ago. However, the cases that involve Sindhi Hindu girls converting to Islam have continuously emerged in Pakistan’s southeastern Sindh province courts. What unsettled the Sindhi Hindu population is the forcible Shaman, the sisters’ brother, searched for the girls to no nature of the conversions, the identical pattern of these avail. Then Shaman, his father and other members of cases and the targeting of minor girls. However, Hindus the community decided to go to the police station to in the Sindh province were able to retain a degree of register a complaint. At the station, they were assured social influence and they became successful merchants, that those who were responsible for the girls’ despite the fact that Pakistan is a Muslim-majority state. disappearance would be caught by March 20th. On the other hand, lower-income Hindus face social However, as the day passed, and nothing seemed to have discrimination and most of the time are cut off the Hindu happened, the community organized a protest the next community, by the powerful and rich landowners. Ravita day to pressure the Station House Officer to file a First Meghwar’s brother-in-law, Lajpat Meghwar, believes that Information Report (FIR). They filed a FIR against six because her family participated in a larger political men, for kidnapping the sisters. On the same day, a video dispute over the use of a well, she was targeted. He said surfaced on social media, where the two girls were that “The person who kidnapped Ravita has no reading aloud the Kalima. Both of them said “We have connection to the family, except they had a dispute. He converted to Islam.” From this video, it seems that the has never come to our house” (2). sisters were abducted from their house and forcibly taken to Rahim Yar Khan district in Punjab and no one knows who kidnapped them. In Punjab, they got married to Barakat Ali and Safdar Ali, they were both already married and had children. The sisters’ wedding was on the 22nd of March at a religious organization, an office of the Sunni Tehreek, after they were converted to Islam. What caused a debate was that the girls claimed that they were above 18, while their brother insisted that they were both minors. Although all of these events were Ravita Meghwar Humas Younas a lot for the Meghwar family to digest, the two sisters filed a petition in Islamabad High court on March 25th, Another recent incident occurred on the 20th of March seeking their family’s protection. The court ruled that 2019, when Sindhi Hindus were celebrating the day of the government should protect the sisters until this Holi. However, that day was the beginning of a nightmare matter was resolved. However, the court decided that the to the Meghwar family. two girls were not forcibly converted, and they were allowed to go back to their husbands (5). Sindh Guardian | 7

On October 10th, 2019, Huma Youns went missing from time for medical tests to determine Huma’s age. her home, where three men waited till her family left Unfortunately, the High Court ruling in Pakistan the house then they abducted her. Huma was taken to validated the marriage of 14-year-old Huma Youns (4). Dera Gazi Khan, which is about 600 kilometer away from her home city in Karachi. Her abjuration was The Failure of the Sindh Criminal Law (Protection of recorded the same day she was kidnapped. To illustrate, Minorities) Bill Huma Youns is a 14-year-old christian girl from Zia There have been multiple attempts by the Sindhi Colony, Karachi, was kidnaped, forcibly converted to government to pass bills that could protect minorities Islam, and forced to get married to a Muslim man. Her from forced conversions and will make these acts family is trying everything they can to safely get their punishable by the law, however, because of the daughter back. Therefore, they have filed an appeal to oppositions and the backlash from conservative Muslim the Court of Justice in Sindh province. Her father, groups, the legislation failed and never saw the light. To Younus Masih, works as an electrician. Her mother, illustrate, in February 2013, the Sindhi government set Nagina, laments that police refused to accept their up a committee of three members to consider laws to end initial complaint, and filed the case only on October forced religious conversions and forced marriages. The 12th, 2019, after refusing several times. A few days later developed bill considered the majority of the issues the the family received Huma’s conversion papers and involve forced conversions and marriage as it aimed to marriage certificate to a Muslim man called Abdul order certain institutions to be responsible for stopping Jabar. For Huma’s mother, she believes that the papers such incidents and setting legal guidelines for behaviors are fake because the date of her conversion is the same in such cases. This would allow the victims to have access day she was kidnapped. “It is impossible,” the mother to justice and will protect the integrity of the court’s insists (3). The court hearing was scheduled on process (1). In November 2016, the Sindh Provincial November 11th, 2019, and the parents were expecting Assembly unanimously passed the bill. Unfortunately, Huma to appear before the court, but she failed to show the bill did not become a law as in January 2017, the up. Her parents became even more concerned about Governor at that time, Mr. Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui, their daughter, saying “we don’t even know if she’s still returned the bill. Although Mr. Siddiqui died soon after, alive” (3). Another hearing was scheduled on February the bill was still blocked by parties and the Islamist 3rd, 2020, which only lasted for five minutes. The groups. On December 5th, 2016, a group of Islamist met family’s attorney, Tabassum Yousaf said “ The court, in with the chief minister’ special assistant on religious just a few words citing the sharia, has justified the affairs, Dr. Abdul Qayyum Soomro, and described the bill violation of the girl’s body since she has already had her against the basis of Islam. Other religious parties started first period” (4). Yousaf added that the family was a campaign against the Sindh assembly bill to pressure prohibited from seeing Huma because police said her and threaten the Sindh government to withdraw it. The life would be at risk if she was brought to the Jamaatl-Islami (JI) contended that there is no such thing courtroom. He continued saying that the family as setting an age limit on people converting to Islam. challenged Huma’s marriage and forced conversion Since all these disputes, the Pakistani Hindu Council under the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act 2013, decided that the Supreme Court should take action which declares marrying a person under 18 years old an against the issue of forced conversions and forced offence punishable by up to three years in prison. The marriages. Other bills have appeared but there have family has filed an appeal to the Court of Justice in been very little legislative movement in the case. In Sindh Province, and Yousaf said a hearing is scheduled addition, the religious parties have not shown any sign of for March 4th. Accordingly, the Police will have more withdrawing their opposition to the bills (1).

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Protesting Forced Conversion

Demanding to End Forced Conversions A resolution was unanimously passed by Pakistan’s Sindh Assembly, demanding to end the practice of abductions and forced conversions of Sindhi Hindu girls. They are also demanding that those involved in such activities should be punished and held accountable. This resolution moved on the 16th of July 2019 by Nand Kumar Goklani, Grand Democratic Alliance lawmaker, months after the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan released its report in April 2019. Kumar said about 40 Hindu girls, mostly minors, from many areas have been forced to convert to Islam in just a few months. He said “This assembly has passed a law against child marriages. The minor girls of our community go missing and later appear in a seminary where they tie the knot with a Muslim boy” (6). He continued saying that all of this is done under pressure and threats of violence. Kumer had moved a bill earlier against forced conversions but it was dissented by the governor. Therefore, he indirectly started to criticize the treasury bench for not doing anything to end the practice of abductions and forced conversions. He asked the treasury “This is our motherland. Since the creation of Pakistan, we the minorities have always remained loyal to Pakistan just like our Muslim brothers. Where should we go if our girls are converted?” (6). He told the treasury that this problem has forced many Sindhi Hindus to leave Pakistan, “but we want to live and die here. Please give us protection and don’t force us to leave this country” (6). Another member Mangla Sharma, who supports the resolution, said that “We respect all religions, but the question arises why Hindu boys are not converted to Islam,” so she was questioning why the Hindu girls are the only ones being abducted. She continued saying “Despite different pressures on us, we will not leave this land and have decided to fight these elements who work against us” (6).

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an offense, carrying a maximum BLASPHEMY punishment of 3 years. Then in 1982, another clause was added that CASE OF would carry a life imprisonment sentence for “willful” desecration of NOTAN LAL the Quran, the holy book of Islam. Blasphemy Laws Finally, in 1986 a separate clause was inserted to punish any person Written by Christine Sifre accused of blasphemous speech against the Prophet Muhammad and One would think laws that involve the penalty recommended was blasphemy would be a thing of the “death or imprisonment for life,” in past in today’s world, but extreme that order (7). blasphemy laws are taken very

seriously in Pakistan. These The implementation of these laws Notan Lal perceived religious offenses were has meant those who have been codified in 1860 when present-day The Sindh province, a peaceful accused of blasphemous acts have Pakistan was subject to British rule, region that has always been defined received unfair trials with very little and these laws established that it by religious tolerance, has for the evidence, if any, before being given would be a crime to disturb a first time become increasingly the harsh punishment of death or religious assembly, trespass on fertile grounds for these accusations life imprisonment. At least 75 people burial grounds, insult religious of blasphemy to be made. The rise of have been killed since 1990 in beliefs, or intentionally destroy or these accusations and their connection with allegations of this defile a place or an object of increasing frequency are tied to the “crime” and at least 40 people are worship. These offenses held a influx of migrants from northern serving life sentences or are on maximum punishment of 1-10 years Pakistan who have settled in the death row according to the U.S. in jail with or without a fine and Sindh province; the indigenous Commission for International were even expanded in 1927. When foundations in religious harmony Religious Freedom. One such case Pakistan and India split in 1947, become muted as Sindhis are reported occurred in May 2019, in these laws were retained by outnumbered by this predominantly the Sindh town of Mirpur Khas, Pakistan and later expanded Sunni Muslim immigrant where a Sindhi Hindu veterinarian, between 1980 and 1986 by General community. Ramesh Kumar Malhi, was accused Zia ul Haq’s military government to of wrapping medicine in paper with include more egregious forms of Another recent case happened on Islamic verses printed on it– riots punishments; his mission was to September 16, 2019, a 15-year old broke out in response (5). He was “Islamicise” and legally separate the student at a public school in the taken into “protective custody” and Ahmani community that was town of Ghotki in Sindh province, six people were charged with rioting; declared non-Muslim in 1973 from accused his principal, Notan Lal, a “protective custody” essentially the majority Muslim Pakistani Sindhi Hindu, of blasphemy because means that that person is now in jail community. The law was expanded he criticized him for not memorizing and can never return to their lives or in 1980 to designate any derogatory a homework assignment. Notan Lal homes because of that accusation. remarks against Islamic personages and his wife have been pillars of

Sindh Guardian | 10 Atheir community as the owners and principal of a Add a little bit of body t Sindh Public School for over 25 years. However, Abdul Aziz Khan has said that his son Muhammad Ibtisam alleges that the principal insulted the prophet during a lesson on his life and travel between two holy cities. Under Pakistani Penal code 295-C: Use of derogatory remarks, etc, in respect of the Holy Prophet merits death as only available sentence following a federal Shariat Court ruling in 1991 (4). Without any proof that anything blasphemous was said, the extremist decimated the school in which the alleged incident happened and even ransacked a local Hindu temple. Sindhi Hindu leader Mukhi Kika Ram added that several Hindu-owned businesses and homes were badly damaged in the riots. Senior police official Farrukh Lanjar told Al Jazeera “Mr. Lal has been taken Damage of a Hindu temple Sindhi Muslims protect into police protective custody and we are inquiring Hindu temple about his role in the incident,” and “the student has also been questioned” (2). In response to the protest, House of Representatives on October 22, 2019, asking many in the Sindhi Muslim community staged a the committee to help encourage the release of Notan counter-protest protecting their Hindu neighbors by Lal for a crime that he didn’t commit (6). The student doing a sit-in at the Hindu temple to prevent any has also come out on social media stating that he further damage. Despite the overwhelming support exaggerated because he was angry having been that the Sindhi Muslims presented, the Lal family can criticized by his principal; he is now asking for Notan never return to their home and lives in Ghotki because Lal to forgive him, while Notan Lal remains in custody once someone is accused of blasphemy they won’t be and may never return to his home or occupation. forgiven even if that person has been proven innocent. The other problem is that no lawyer wants to take this In mid-December, the U.S. State Department announced case because, in the past, lawyers like a certain Saeed that it was re-designating Pakistan a “country of Khan have been killed for any help they provide to the particular concern” for “having engaged in or tolerated accused, with their bodies made into “examples” to systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of scare citizens that try to help people like Notan Lal. The religious freedom” (3). The US designation is based on most recent update on Notan Lal’s case is that the an evaluation carried out by the US Commission on session judge in Ghotki has moved the case to an anti- International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an terrorism court and no judge is even taking his case, independent body funded by Washington. USCIRF said which is devastating because the 6 months he has been that Pakistan had failed to adequately protect its in prison has caused his health to decline significantly. minorities and failed to ensure religious freedom for all, including members of the majority. Also, a large number Sindhi American human rights activist Fatima Gul of USCIRF members have a House Resolution, testified before the US Committee on Foreign Affairs H.RES.-640 which specifically calls to condemn such sub-committee Asia, Pacific, and Non-Proliferation, blasphemy against Christians in places like Pakistan (1).

Sindh Guardian | 11 “Pakistan has rejected the U.S. government’s move to U.S. TAKES designate the country “of particular concern” on religious freedom. Pakistani Foreign Minister said the STEP AGAINST label was “unilateral and arbitrary,” and “the result of a biased evaluation process” (3). The Foreign Office also stated that it was a “selective targeting” of countries. "BLASPHEMY" Prime Minister Imran Khan is a defender of these House Resolution extreme blasphemy laws. When Asia Bibi was H.R. 512, co-sponsored exonerated by the Pakistani Supreme Court, after being by Congressional Sindh charged with blasphemy and being in prison for nine Caucus member Jaime years, Prime Minister Khan said that there would be no Raskin (D-MD-08), passed appeals to the court’s decision and she would not be put from the House Foreign on “exit control list,” but then an hour later a Affairs Committee on government tweet went out recanting what the Prime March 4, 2020. Minister had said– only to be recanted again! Asia Bibi knew she must leave at that point before the Later that day, Rep. Raskin published the following: government blocked her from leaving again; she has “As oppressive regimes across the globe use since fled to Canada, but she is recognizable and not arbitrary religious offenses such as entirely safe from those who may want to harm her. ‘blasphemy’ and ‘heresy’ to imprison, torture,

and kill religious, it is critical that the United Duplicitous employment of Pakistan’s extreme States defends freedom of religion and liberty blasphemy laws, to conclude, often lead to false of conscience everywhere. This Resolution is a convictions that then spark violent, extremist protests. small but important step in protecting the The riots damage minority homes and businesses make individual freedoms to choose your religion or it extremely expensive to repair and, in addition, the no religion at all and to worship and think heart that goes along with such hate of one’s neighbors freely around the world. We will continue can be devastating. These hypocritical extremists expect working together to combat the persecution of people to respect the customs of Islam, the Holy religious minorities and dissenters..." Prophet and other Islamic relics, yet they seem to destroy Hindu, Christian, and other religious artifacts in the name of their god as they riot through the streets crying blasphemy. People like Notan Lal, Asia Bibi, and countless Sindhis of all backgrounds whether Hindu, Christians, or even Muslim must constantly watch what they say and do what they can to not anger anyone as it could cost them their lives. This is not a sustainable way to live in a community where so many different people of different faiths commune with each other. With this much hate and misunderstanding, the Sindh province has a long road ahead of them to bridge Now that it has passed the House Foreign Affairs this gap in community life. Committee, it will be voted on by the entire U.S. House of Representatives. A Resolution is not law,

Sindh Guardian | 12 but represents the sentiments of the House.

progress to restructure or reform the Watch that they fake “encounter THE RULE system, that has been inherited from killings,” where the police fake an the colonial times in 1947 (6). encounter to kill individuals who OF LAW Therefore, reforming the police has are already in custody. This is due to become a priority in Pakistan in order pressure from the higher authority IN SINDH to strengthen the rule of law. This urge or because the police cannot gather evidence to prove the convictions. It The "Justice" System to restructure the system originated from the overwhelming and clear proof also occurs when the officers justify Written by Ayia Ghazy that a responsible, efficient, just and killing criminal suspects either to prevent criminals from escaping The Emergence of the Rule of Law ethical law enforcement and policing justice due to lack of witnesses and and Policing in Pakistan system are key factors for the evidence or as an act of self-defense. It is known all over the world that promotion of human security and for Not only the police are abusive but any state’s law enforcement and social and economic development. also, they are never held police system have a crucial role in Among the problems that affect the accountable for these actions, as the defending the land against Pakistani police system are the victims’ families could be accused of insurgencies and the threats of outdated criminal justice system, the false charges or harassed if they terrorism. However, the random choice of police by the state’s filed complaints (5). mechanisms of law enforcement, executive authority, poor incentive

especially policing in Pakistan, systems, corruption, inadequate

have always been recognized as accountability and serving under-

the most ineffective and corrupt resourcing of law (6).

system. The system itself has led to

the failure of law and order in Police brutality and Fake “Encounter

Pakistan, which is as well backed Killings”

by multiple historical, socio- In Pakistan, the police are the most

political and cultural factors (1). complained against, the least trusted

Furthermore, the crisis of law and and the most feared institution, because of corruption and inefficient Protesting Against Police Brutality order in Pakistan has only gotten worse over time, where recently, accountability. There are multiple reported cases of torturing detainees, On April 7th, 2017, the Chairman of the police have become unable to Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM), effectively deal with its illegal killings of suspects and harassment of individuals and families 54-year-old Bashir Khan Qureshi, responsibilities, especially mysteriously passed away in combating crimes and protecting who try to file cases, mainly if it is against one of the security forces, along Sakrand, Sindh. Qureshi was at a citizens. Over the years there have party and after he had dinner with been attempts to restructure the with other human rights violations. In addition, most of the time, the police his co-workers, he suddenly lost police system in Pakistan, consciousness. He complained of would refuse to register individuals’ however, these attempts have been chest pain followed by a cough. complaints, they would ask for bribes ineffective and are always Qureshi was shifted to a local and victims face biased investigations criticized. Accordingly, ever since hospital, where he took his last (5). More importantly, some police the independence of Pakistan, breath at around 2:45 am. Party officers admitted to Human Rights there has not been any significant

Sindh Guardian | 13 workers contended that Qureshi was not a heart After all these encounters and killings, no police officer patient, and there had never been any indication of was killed or even injured which raises the question of heart problems in the past. Rumors started spreading whether these suspects were actually armed. The Human saying that he was poisoned by phosphorus. “We do Rights Watch was told by multiple police officers that not believe that cardiac arrest was the cause of Bashir many of these abuses can be explained and even justified. Khan Qureshi’s death. We are certain he was They mentioned the inadequate resources and training, eliminated by those who could not stomach the the deficiency of funds, poor working conditions, nationalist leader’s popularity, which was amply organizational failure and the absence of collaboration demonstrated during a rally in Karachi on March 23, with other police forces. The officers said that all of these 2012,” said the acting chairman of Jeay Sindh Qaumi issues mentioned above were intensified by the pressure Mahaz (JSQM), Dr Niaz Kalani. Dr. Qayum Rajpar, inflicted on them by senior police officials and by local who is one of the members of the post-mortem politicians. Others claim that they only kill “hardened” medical board, revealed that Qureshi was poisoned to suspect criminals and they believe that these acts are death (2). justifiable due to the ineffectiveness of the criminal justice system (5). In September 2014, 21-year-old Allah Wadhayo Mahar was picked by security agency personnel from a private school in Bhittaiabad, Gulistan-e-jauhar, Karashi where he worked as a watchmen. On December 1st, 2014, he was found with bullet wounds along with, Fahim Bhutto and Karim Memom, two of his friends whose bodies were mutilated. His parents were informed, and he was taken to the Karachi Civil Hospital. Once he regained consciousness, he told the police he wanted to be transferred from this hospital or he would be killed. On that same day, he was taken from the hospital by about two dozen armed men, some were in police uniform, in front of his protesting and crying parents. Later in Abdad, Karachi, his body Top, left to right: Irshad Ranjhani, Allah Wadhayo Mahar. was found (4). Bottom, left to right: Amir Khuhawar, Bashir Khan Qureshi, Sahib Khan Ghoto In 2015, Pakistan’s nongovernmental Human Rights Commission announced that about 4,803 people were Torture and Police Abuse in Custody murdered in “encounters killings” from the year 2016 Imprisoned suspects are virtually always tortured and to 2019. A senior officer said that “In general, they [the abused by the police, which is a widespread problem in police] only kill habitual offenders and criminals who Pakistan. Such acts involve crushing and stretching the have committed heinous crimes such as rape, detainees’ legs with metal rods and beating them with armed dacoity, multiple murders, kidnapping, etc” leather strips or by hand, extended hours of sleep (5). Furthermore, according to media reports in deprivation, sexual abuse and torturing them mentally by collaboration with the Human Rights Commission, forcing them to watch other detainees being tortured. As seven women and about 2,108 men were murdered because of police false encounters all across Pakistan.

Sindh Guardian | 14 a result, detainees either die in custody or suffer abusive and unaccountable institutions. As they from lasting mental stress, physical pain and always try to avoid legal procedures that take a long disability. The Pakistani police use torture to force time and seek quick results, which leads to suspects to confess, to get information from them or extrajudicial killings and torture (7). For instance, on due to the pressure imposed on them from February 6th, 2019, thirty-year-old Irshad Ranjhani landowners or local politicians (5). On April 24th, was shot by the Union Council Chairman Rahim 2013, 22-year-old Amir Khuhawar and 19-year-old Shah. Irshad was a Sindhi Activist and the President Sajjad Murkhand were abducted by the security of the Sindhi nationalist group Karachi Jeay Sindh agency from Larkana, Sindh, when they were Tehreek (JST). He was shot four times when he came preparing for a public meeting. The bodies of the back from Dubai to visit his family. After Shah shot two activists, bearing marks of severe torture, were him, he was not taken to the hospital instead the found on Chokhandi link road near Khairpur police took him to the police station. Protesters said Nathan Shah. Police took the bodies to a local that he was shot four more times at the station to hospital for an autopsy. A police official said that make sure he died. According to Shah, Ranjhani and their bodies were found by local people and another man had a gun and they were trying to rob motorists. He said that their hands were tied behind him, as he just left the bank. Therefore, Shah shot their back with rope (7). Another incident was on him to defend himself, however, videos of the February 14th, 2014, where 40-year-old Sahib Khan incident proved otherwise. Still, the Pakistani police Ghoto, was traveling, in public transportation, to his sided with Shah and believed his story (3). On hometown Ghotki from Sukkur with his brothers, February 11th, 2019, because of the protests, the Israr Ahmed Ghoto and Naveed Ahmed Ghoto. Sahib police finally filed a First Information Report (FIR) was a human rights activist and the district leader of and arrested Shah not because he murdered the Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM). On their Ranjhani but for not allowing him to be sent to the way home, some intelligence agency personnel hospital and they still were not held accountable for stopped their vehicle near Navy Park, Rohri. After shooting Ranjhani again at the station. The looking at Sahib’s identity, they forcibly took him to unfettered impunity without accountability has an unknown place, leaving his brothers behind. His turned the country into an authoritarian police state. brothers then filed a petition in Sindh High Court, The citizens of the country are being robbed of their and the hearing was scheduled on the 25th of fundamental rights and no one is safe. Even in the February 2014. On February 18th, 2014, Sahib’s most oppressive of regimes some semblance of bullet-riddled and tortured body was dumped near a security can be felt, however citizens are left on the railway track Bhirya Road, District Naushero Feroz, mercy of mighty and powerful to do as they please. Sindh. Sahib was previously abducted by security agencies but was freed after illegal torture and detention (4).

Pakistan’s Culture of Impunity Holding the Pakistani police accountable for their actions is something that is almost impossible. This as well emphasizes the fact that the Pakistani criminal justice system is one of the most corrupt,

S indh Guardian | 15 state of EDUCATION and HEALTH educational system. On the other decline in Sindh. Throughout SYSTEM OF hand, Sindh, Balochistan, and Sindh, 71% government primary FATA’s performance in the school buildings are in a pathetic EDUCATION education field have remained condition. Furthermore, about 47% extremely poor (5). of the schools are supervised by IN SINDH single teachers and about 27% run in a single classroom. The majority Education When it comes to education, Sindhi children face many problems of teachers in Sindhi villages are Written by Ayia Ghazy because of the poor system. In running their own business instead of showing up at schools and giving Background Sindh, out of 12 million children, 6.2 some of their time to students. Nelson Mandela said that “education million are out of school and about Therefore, 50% of children enrolled is the most powerful weapon which 52% of those out of school are girls. in Sindhi primary schools drop out you can use to change the world” (4). According to the Alif Ailan’s report, before even finishing their primary To illustrate, education plays a Sindh has miserably failed in schooling, and about 22% of crucial role in shaping people’s bringing any improvement or children do not go to schools. future, acquiring the necessary skills change to the education system. To Despite the fact that, article 25(A) of and learning the society’s basic clarify, schools’ infrastructure in the constitution guarantees the rules, regulations, norms and values. Sindh score about 54%. To right of free education for children It teaches people how to live life, exemplify, 48% of the primary aging from 5 to 16 (6). communicate to others and schools have electricity, 64% have restrooms, 58% have drinking water, differentiate between right and wrong. It is what gives people the 65% have the boundary wall, and chance to become a beneficial and only 35% of the schools have been productive part of the society. found in a satisfactory condition (5). Unfortunately, the education system In other words, according to the in Sindh is in a pitiful condition and reform Support Unit (RSU) report, it is neglected by the current which is a subsidiary of the Sindh government. Schools are poorly Education Department, there are managed, and accordingly, about 42,383 schools in Sindh knowledge is not transferred to the province. Out of this total number, students of Sindh (4). Not long ago, about 23,235 schools do not have Children without a proper the 2017 report regarding the electricity, 15,478 schools do not classroom or materials have restrooms, 18,128 schools do educational condition and ways to Supporting the report of Alif Ailan not have drinking water and 16,359 improve it was released by Alif are the reports released by the schools do not have boundary walls Ailan. The first on the list were World Bank, and the Sindhi Annual (2). This lack of basic facilities makes Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Status Education Report (ASER). All schools like prisons, also, Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Baluchistan, the reports indicate that Sindhi infrastructural development is what Sindh and finally the Federal public schools, in terms of both motivates students to go to school. Administration Tribal Areas (FATA). infrastructural development and As a result, the lack of the facilities is The list shows that both KP and academic standard is worse than what caused significant enrollment Punjab have improved their imagined. The World Banks report

shows that Punjab is on the top of

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the list of the schools with the basic facilities with 93% Ignoring Girls’ Education percent. Sindh, on the other hand, is lagging far behind Many policies have been formulated to achieve a with about 22% percent. According to ASER’s report, considerable literacy rate among Sindhi girls, but primary schools are not firmly established, as a result this Pakistan is still unable to achieve the goal of universal will negatively impact students’ future educational education due to various hurdles. This is despite the fact engagements. The report reveals shocking student ability that both men and women have been given equal to learn Arithmetic, English and Language have educational rights in religion and constitution, however, significantly dropped. To clarify, about 63% of the that is not the case in reality. It is always believed that students in Class V cannot read Class II level story in no society can progress when about half of its Sindhi and Urdu. For English, 19% of Class V students population is kept backwards and prevented from could read English sentences, which could be read by playing its role in progress, social change and human students in the second grade. Regarding learning development (1). Arithmetic, 24% of Class V students are able to solve two- Sindh has the second-highest number of total out-of- digit divisions that also could be solved by students in the school female students, it as well has the highest second grade (2). contribution of 36% to the national figure of primary female out-of-school children. There are multiple

“Education is the most powerful reasons why women in Sindh cannot get an education.

These reasons include, conservative approaches weapon which you can use to regarding co-education, the purdah system, less

importance granted to the female child and the non- change the world” availability of educational facilities. It is difficult for

- Nelson Mandela women to get an education in rural areas, mostly

because no separate schools are present. Therefore, A report conducted by UNICEF in 2015 showed that about women are the victims, as they are not allowed to go 40% of Sindhi children have never been inside a school. outside. Instead, they work and sew clothes at home (1). The main reason for illiteracy rate in Sindhi primary In addition, their male counterparts do not want them to schools is extreme poverty. Parents have the burden of get an education, because education might help them somehow feeding their malnourished children. earn a better position in society. The Sindhi people Accordingly, families tend to send their children to should remember that if children are not educated, Madrassah instead of primary schools, as they provide things in Sindh will never change. On the other hand, children with education and meals. However, quality the Sindhi government should emphasize that education is not a priority in these Madrassahs. Thus, education is the antidote for poverty, ignorance and war. although they are feeding the hungry children, they are depriving them from receiving education. The Sindh Sindhi people usually link educating a girl to ruining government’s attempt to combat this issue is by the reputation of families. Therefore, educational announcing in 2016 that it would provide free lunches to deprivation of Sindhi girls is embedded in the structure, the students. This announcement was intended to norms, culture and values of the society. Other family encourage parents to send their children to primary concerns include having a “love affair” with someone on schools, as well as reducing the problem of the way to school or at school and engaging in a undernourishment in young Sindhi children. However, behavior that is considered incongruous within the the education problem in Sindh still has not improved cultural context. Therefore, not allowing girls to go to (3). school is considered a way to mitigating the risks (1).

Sindh Guardian | 18

Sindhi girls with no proper classroom

Reforming Sindh’s Education System

Unfortunately, Sindh is the only province in Pakistan where about 6 million children dropped out of school and there is no easy solution to this longstanding education emergency. Although the whole education system in

Pakistan is in desperate need of reforms, the crisis in Sindh is alarming with about half the Sindhi population have never stepped foot in a school (3). Accordingly, Sindh with the collaboration of World Bank, introduced a biometric system to start taking attendance of the staff in schools. In addition, Monitoring Assistants have been hired in schools and they installed biometric devices in colleges. Although this new biometric system has slightly improved the education system, as it has ensured that at least teachers and staff attend schools, it created problems for regular teachers. To exemplify, transfers and normal leaves have become more complicated after the introduction of the system. In addition, due to the unfriendly education laws, many teachers have decided to take volunteer retirement. As a result, a vacuum is created, and many running schools have shut down. Therefore, this biometric system is not enough to improve Sindh’s education system (5). In addition, funds from the government to the education sector is very minimal. The Sindhi government should provide this sector with more funds to develop the structure of the system. Investments in educational infrastructure must, therefore, be done alongside with the creation of an enabling environment, which includes functioning schools, dedicated teachers, safe passage to school, availability of social guidance, and the provision of necessities so that parents don’t have to choose between food and education. Furthermore, Schools should at least have restrooms, electricity and clean drinking water. Also, there must be training programs for teachers so that they can pass on their knowledge and quality education to students. Reforms to the quality of education is needed to improve the security and trustworthiness of Sindhi primary school. Accessibility to schools is as well a major concern that must be addressed to combat this crisis. Uneducated parents must be made aware of the importance of educating their children and should be provided with incentives to educate their children, even in their poverty (3). These are some key factors that need to be addressed in the education sector reforms. For this purpose, the district government and Sindh Chief Minister should take some concrete actions (1).

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exhibited by one parent’s sentiment SINDH BASIC in Sukkur: “If I have to choose between educating my daughter or EDUCATION son, then I will choose my son. The reason is that girls’ education is not PROGRAM appreciated in our society.” This socio-cultural implication is a factor USAID & Development or combination of factors largely Written by Billy Hackett unique to an adolescent girl’s enrollment, and expands to include a The Sindh Basic Education direct correlation with whether any Program (SBEP) was officially educational institutions in the launched in 2012 as a vicinity offer culturally-appropriate collaboration between the washrooms that offer privacy or Government of Sindh’s School Areas of SBEP implementation classes that separate boys from girls Education Department, which is (3). implementing this project, and the The CMP directly addresses the issue United States Agency for of low-enrollment; between 2016 and The real economic costs of education International Development 2017 as many as 7.4 million affect the enrollment and retention (USAID), which is funding children– or 45% of the school-aged rates of both boys and girls, approximately 94% of this $165 population in Sindh– were especially considering they could million USD project (1). unenrolled (2). The decision to enroll begin working and contributing to

and keep children enrolled in school the household revenue instead of SBEP initiatives are underway in a are made as a family with a number prolonging an existence as a studious total of eight districts of Sindh, of determining factors, including: dependent. To this end, a parent in a including five towns of Karachi, as awareness of the utility (or tangible community in Qambar Shahdadkot shown in Figure A. The ultimate benefit) of education, motivation to remarked that “parents prefer that mission of SBEP is to increase and be educated, the economic costs of their boys earn 200-300 [rupees] sustain enrollment of students in education, and the availability of daily instead of going to school.” This primary education through quality educational institutions in is especially true when there is no secondary schools through the vicinity (3). The perceived risk of school within a reasonable distance, generating an atmosphere and enrollment becomes increasingly a fairly common problem post- institutional capacity that fosters salient when measured against primary school; approximately 91% effective teaching and learning (1). utility as children age, so students of the 45,447 government schools in

are often withdrawn from school as Sindh were primary schools There are a number of distinct they get older. according to an annual 2015-16 projects within this larger project, Sindhi school census which reflects and to that end this article that secondary schools are This is especially true for young girls, highlights the Sindh Reading significantly more rare and thus whose enrollment and retention Program (SRP) and the require longer travel times. This lack rates are significantly lower than Community Mobilization Program of secondary schools, coupled with a boys’ in the affected areas of Sindh; (CMP)– why they are necessary, lack of public transportation, means their education isperceived as less and what they have accomplished. that this commute is not accessible valuable, as for most prospective students (3). Sindh Guardian | 20

Inability to enroll or stay in school, of course, is compounded by a lack of quality education at schools that leads to dismal literacy rates across Sindh. A 2012

Annual Status of Education Report betrayed that 60% of students in Grade 5 were unable to read at a Grade 2 level, and more than half were unable to perform two- digit subtraction. In 2014, it was revealed through an

SRP assessment that 41% of students in Grade 3 could not read even a single word of their local language

(whether Sindhi or Urdu). While SRP builds the infrastructural capacity of

Sindh’s educational institutions, CMP’s aim is to Two oversimplified questions arise when faced with the facilitate engagement between disaffected community challenges in enrolling students and the poor quality of members and educational institutions. The activation education that students do receive: 1) what can be done and strengthening of school management committees, to improve the quality of education and 2) what will or SMCs, has proven a cornerstone of the strategy to convince parents to enroll their children in school? engage more fully with target communities. The SMC That’s where the SRP and CMP come in, respectively. supports the management of every public school in

Sindh and is comprised of parents or influential

community members. The SMC has the ability to Left: allocate government funds for school improvements, Teaching & learning which creates a greater sense of ownership among materials in Sindh these community members– notably when funds are

available, as became the case with the CMP. CMP

Initiatives empower SMCs to meet with parents Right: directly or even host community events that Girls in Sindh carrying effectively spark an interest in school; this SRP reading exercises increasingly enthusiastic integration of schools into

local communities when asked by parents, teachers,

and SMCs seems to have contributed to the

socialization of education in places where the

program is active (3). The SRP has amounted to the construction or refurbishing of 10 public libraries and 23 campus What do SRP and CMP teach us? Schools with more school libraries. 15,551 teachers have been trained. resources and increasingly motivated community 28,340 out-of-school children were enrolled in centers members who serve as ambassadors for their schools of learning. 432,124 children received a reading feed into each other and increase enrollment as well intervention. 54 books have been published to facilitate as quality of education. While many infrastructural language-learning in both Sindhi and Urdu. Ultimately, and systemic problems persist in Sindh’s educational 70,760 young students have demonstrated a clear system, it is important to recognize the improvements improvement in literacy; this number is significantly that have taken place under leadership of the below the goal of 200,000, but it is an important step (2). Government of Sindh’s School Education Department,

as enabled through funding by USAID.

Sindh Guardian | 21

Postgraduate Medical Center, which RABIES the outbreaks of rabies. RFK has is heartbreaking for the Khan family started to expand to more rural because it could have been OUTBREAK areas like Landhi, Korangi, and more prevented(1). recently to DHA and areas in the IN SINDH jurisdiction of Cantonment Board Another case was 12-year old Eidul Azha from Mubarak Abro village of Health Clifton. They have vaccinated 25,000 dogs and spayed/neutered 2,500 Shikarpur, who died 40-days after Written by Christine Sifre dogs (3). the bite. However, in this case, there was no record of the family taking In recent years there has been a rise However, one of the biggest him to any hospital in Shikarpur. It in rabies cases in the Sindh Province problems is the lack of health care wasn’t until his mother took him to of Pakistan due to lack of knowledge and education for the community Chandka Medical Hospital on about vaccines, shortages of the about what to do when a dog bite September 17, 2019, that she was vaccines, and a growing population happens, who is most vulnerable, a informed that her child had of rabid stray dogs. The Rabies Free sign of infection, and the treatment developed hydrophobia, a phobia of Karachi (RFK) project launched in options. Rabies is a 100 percent fatal water, which is a classic sign of being 2008 to address the rabies problem infection if not treated immediately. past the point to treat rabies(2). in Karachi, where dog-bite victims It is passed through by mucous were treated free of cost round-the- membrane and saliva, so when an The Sindh authorities did take clock, although it has had poor infected dog bites, their saliva mixes notice of the young boy’s death and implications in the more rural areas with the victim’s blood transferring are demanding some answers as to of the province. There has been an the virus. For some victims, if they why this happened when the intense increase of dog-bite allow the wound to dry out, it will vaccine was available. Even singer- incidents, 1,789 in 2012 jumping to stop the growth of the infection or turned social activist Shehzad Roy 5,640 in 2018 and between 160,000 they must get the vaccine soon after. said that “This project (RFK) is and 200,000 people a year are bitten In general, the virus takes about 2-12 critical since we know that 40% of by dogs (3). weeks to develop after the initial the dog-bite victims are children,”

bite and in rare cases, it can show up (3) The Sindh government has turned 10 days after or 2 years after the bite. to cull the stray dogs to address the Children and elderly people are the problem and in one month culled most vulnerable to these incidents. over 34,000 dogs. This method has Such as 18-year old Zahoor Khan been proved to be ineffective at from Jeva Khan Goth in the curbing the problem and has caused Nooriabad area of District Jamshoro, outrage from animal rights activists who was treated for a dog bite and demanding that they stop the given medicine, but his father was cruelty immediately. They also have never told to get a vaccine or any advocated that more dogs to get other instruction on care to prevent vaccinated and spayed/neutered, rabies from developing and is which does work at controlling the waiting to die at the Jinnah population of the dogs and limits

Vaccinating strays

Sindh Guardian | 22

Yet, in other cases, there have been shortages of the to be effective (4). This is unrealistic in multiple ways. vaccine itself due to political issues between India and Open markets tend to be unregulated so there is a Pakistan. It is unclear if it was Pakistan that stopped chance that a person doesn’t get the correct vaccine or the shipments of the vaccine due to the bilateral could get a contaminated vaccine. Plus, if they were to tension after New Dehli dismissed the Jammu and get it at a pharmacy it could get quite costly, especially Kashmir special status in August(5). Pakistan used to for poorer people. In some places, it could cost Rs 800 get its supply from China, but it was suspended due to (5.18 USD), which may seem like it isn’t a lot of money its being recalled and deemed unsafe. This then leaves but multiply that by 5 doses and that is Rs 4,000 (25.88 only India as their suppliers but shipments from USD) and for people who barely make two dollars a India have additionally stopped because of problems day that is a lot of money that they probably don’t each country is having with each other and India is have to begin with. increasingly having a raise in rabies cases, themselves. With China out of the game, it is up to With that being said, initiatives like RFK that are India to supply the demand but is struggling to meet expanding to more rural areas to vaccinate, and the increasing demand. Thus, creating devastating spay/neuter the stray dogs give some hope that the cases like10-year old Mir Hasan of Shikarpur, where rabies outbreak will slow down. Although the effects his parents took him to many hospitals, but only to be are admirable to take on spayed/neutered and told that they didn’t have any vaccines for him. Then vaccinated the dogs, there does need to be more when he was taken to Larkana, the family was told education for the local people about what to do that a vaccine wouldn’t have helped because he immediately when a dog bite happens and learning already developed encephalitis, inflammation of the ways to avoid being attacked by dogs. Even if it is just brain and from that point it is incurable. Now this passing out flyers to people in these small towns family must watch their precious child die from about ways to prevent the virus from spreading might something that could have been cured if it wasn’t for be better than nothing. Likewise, activists like governmental conflicts with other countries. Shehzad Roy are putting pressure on the government to educate its people on preventing the rabies virus to If Pakistan were to look at suppliers from Europe, it get to the point where it isn’t treatable anymore. would cost Rs 70,000 (446 USD) vs. Rs 1,000 (6 USD) However, will it be enough pressure to convince the per dose from India, which would limit their ability to government to do something? So far when it comes to offer free treatment and would continue to be in short the Sindhi people the government largely ignores supply(5). By not having access to affordable them because they aren’t part of the Muslim majority. treatment options, it becomes unsustainable and This has led to the Sindhi people being heavily more people are likely to die, especially children. In discriminated against and their needs being some reports, it has been said that hospitals have neglected. Additionally, with the continuous conflicts been instructed to only give one dose of the vaccine that Pakistan and India have over Kashmir, it can and patients are told to go to the pharmacy or the continue to be a problem getting the vaccine that is market to get the rest. According to Vice-Chancellor required for this life-saving treatment. The more this Dr. Javed Akram, of the University of Health Science, issue is talked about, especially by local activists and depending on the circumstances of the dog bite, it outside media maybe the Sindh people will get the might require five to seven treatments of the vaccine relief they desperately need.

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SINDHI HERITAGE and LANGUAGE department was branched into archaeological, anthropological, SINDHI “Culture Department” and ethnological and national interest in “Tourism Department” (1). In 1992, Sindh. As a result, an Advisory HERITAGE & Sindh Tourism Development Committee of the Government of Corporation (STDC) was Sindh has been constituted under CULTURE established under the companies the chairmanship of the Chief Act of 1975. This helped in giving a Secretary Sindh and it consisted of Heritage board of directors for making six other members. Half of the Written by Ayia Ghazy policy decisions and providing members were professional in the guidelines for the promotion of fields of archaeology, architecture, Background Sindh’s tourism. STDC was conservation, history, etc (8). History, culture, language and responsible for providing Through this act, about 600 heritage heritage have always been very dear information and facilities, even sites of Karachi, published and to the Sindhi people. Heritage though the management of the cataloged by the Foundation were buildings, which have great value in sites was with the Federal given protection. This is the largest the peoples’ cultural inheritance, government (9). In 2010, about 126 number of protected sites in any are an essential part of the monuments and archaeological province of Pakistan. However, architectural history of Sindh sites including some museums Sindh and its heritage are in trouble. province (1). Sindh is known for its have been transferred by the There is little help to save heritage well-preserved heritage, including Federal Government to the sites from damage, both natural and buildings from the colonial-era, Government of Sindh, Culture man-made, nor are people willing to which presents unity and variety. In Department. The rest of the come forward to help. If these sites 1976, a “Culture Cell” was important monuments, museums are not preserved, Sindh’s heritage established in the Department of and archeological sites were given will be lost to the next generation Education, in order to protect to the Culture Department in April (9). Sindh’s cultural heritage, and 2011 as a result of the termination because of the Sindhi people’s of “Concurrent List” from 1973 aspirations and enthusiasm to Constitution of Pakistan during the preserve their heritage. In 1988, the aftermath of the Constitution’s cell was granted a status of 18th Amendment. Therefore, the Admirative Department, and for domain and scope of the most of the time it remained under department has expanded transition. The Sindhi Museum, a requiring renaming the Ranikot Fort dozen libraries, one studio, one art department to cover areas of its Ranikot Fort, also known as the council, and a cultural center have responsibility (1). Great Wall of Sindh, is a historical been functioning under the fort, constructed in the 17th century, department. In the beginning, the In 1994, Sindh Cultural Heritage near Sann, Jamshoro District, Sindh, department started as “Culture, (Preservation) Act was enacted in Pakistan. Ranikot Fort is located Tourism, Sports, Youth Affairs and order to protect and preserve about 56 miles to the north of Social Welfare Department,” then it ancient places and objects of Hyderabad and it is one of the became “Culture and Tourism historical, architectural, artistic, largest walls in the world. The semi- Department.” Then in 2009, the circular structure is about 35

kilometer in length and connects

Sindh Guardian | 25 with barren hills and it perfectly follows the natural repair but the work for preservation and protection was contours of the region’s hilly landscape. The northern not carried out properly, which changed the original part of the fort’s perimeter is a high hill like formation, shape of the wall. His main concern is that the use of the other three sides are covered by the fort’s walls. cement to repair the structure is damaging it as in old Within the main fort, there is a smaller fort that is days there was no such thing as cement and they always called “Merri” (7). Merri is about 5-6 miles from the used a material called Cheeroly. Shahani is requesting main fort’s gate, and it is announced that it used to the government to start repairing the fort immediately serve as the royal family of Mirs’s palace. Shahpar gate and with the right material (5). is located at a distance of six kilometers from the smaller fort ‘Meeri Kot’ built within the main fort. The other three gates are named Sann, Mohan and Amri. No one knows why Ranikot Fort was built, but it is thought that it was built during the Sassanians regimes, the Bactrian Greeks or the Parthians (7). Since 1993, Ranikot Fort has been on the list of tentative UNESCO World Heritage Sites as it was nominated by the Pakistani National Commission for UNESCO world heritage status. It is as well listed as a historical site under the Antiquities Act of 1975 and its subsequent amendments and is provided protection (9). The Archeology Department of Pakistan, the Dadu District Administration and the Department of Culture of Sindh, had made efforts to protect and further repair the monument. However, in 2005 there were allegations of poor construction and favoritism in award contracts. Mohenjo Daro To clarify, villagers who have been living on the premises of the fort said that the rampart is in an Mohenjo Daro which means “Mound of the Dead” is an extremely vulnerable condition at multiple places and ancient Indus Valley Civilization city that flourished there is a chance that it might vanish completely, if between 2600 and 1900 BCE. The archeological site is authorities did not try to repair and preserve the fort. A located in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Mohenjo Daro tourist guide who has been working for 30 years, is a group of mounds and ruins on the right bank of the Mohammad Sadiq Gabol, said that neglect is the main Indus River, northern Sindh province, southern Pakistan. cause of the fort’s fall (5). He continued saying that It lies on the flat alluvial plain of the Indus, about 50 nearby portions of the collapsed wall had as well miles southwest of Sukkur. The site contains the developed cracks and it is feared that they might remnants of one of two main centers of the ancient Indus crumble at any time. Gabol said “If no timely action is civilization, and the other one is the Harappa, about 400 taken, the walls on both sides of the Shahpar gate will miles to the northwest in Pakistan’s Punjab province. collapse.” Aurangzeb Shahani, a resident of the area, Mohenjo Daro was discovered and its importance was said the fort had been repaired from time to time in the recognized in the 1920s, a little after Harappa was past by both the federal and Sindh governments, while discovered. Successive excavations suggested that the non-government organizations also gave funds for its archeological site have suffered more than once from devastating floods of abnormal depth and duration (8).

Sindh Guardian | 26

ext Mohenjo Daro is gradually passing through its second Shar said that despite Rs30 crore annual budget, phase, and probably its final phase of destruction. To drinking water facilities had not been provided for illustrate, due to lack of international attention and tourists at the world heritage site. He said that the area funds for its maintenance and preservation, the of Mohenjo Daro which was actually spread to two to five archaeological site is steadily disintegrating. As a direct kilometers had been encroached upon adding that water result of the dismal lack of preservation efforts, the 240- logging drain that was built by UNESCO to drain out acre site is facing the dangerous threat of a rapidly salinity water. He also said women of influential families rising water coupled with extensive water logging and took away necklaces from the Mohenjo Daro museum salinity. The second major threat to the site is the and other artifacts had also been stolen from there (2). changing course of the Indus River on whose banks Mohenjo-Daro is situated. Pakistan tried saving the Sindhi Culture, Tourism, Antiques and Archives situation in 1974, when the controlling authority was set Department Secretary Akbar Laghari’s attempts to up for the preservation of the site. However, after the protect the archeological site from being damaged. He death of the chairman, the prevention authority slated said, on Sindhi Culture Day, that monuments of to be wound up and the 4,000-year-old site had been Mohenjo Daro were very sensitive and when people visit handed back to the Department of Archaeology (3). The these historical ruins, they get damaged. Accordingly, controlling authority had chalked out a preservation the cultural heritage site is closed for the general public plan for Mohenjo-Daro years ago to protect the ancient during the Sindhi Culture Day to save it from site from the multiple threats to its survival. The plan destruction. He said Mohenjo Daro is the civilization of was estimated to cost Rs 7.5 crores of which two-thirds entire humanity and if one brick is damaged then it will (Rs 5 crores) was to be borne by UNESCO and the rest be a national loss and a loss to entire mankind (6). He was to be paid by the Pakistani government in yearly said UNESCO should also prepare a law that visitors of allocations. To cover part of its expenditure, UNESCO such ancient historical places should wear a very soft initiated a world-wide "Save Mohenjo-Daro '' fund pair of shoes so that most important sites are protected collecting drive including the sale of Mohenjo-Daro and no damage is done to the monuments by the visitors stamps, but it only managed to collect a meager sum of because, he added, hard boots also damage the ruins Rs 60 lakhs in three years (3). which are thousands of years old. He said photography is Archeologists claimed that the funds allocated by also banned in many cultural sites in the world because UNESCO and other donor agencies for the development flash of the camera is also causing damage to the and preservation of Mohenjo-Daro were being wasted historical artifacts. He said security is deployed during owing to the incompetence of the authorities Eid holidays only to save the monuments from the concerned. At the conference that was organized by visitors who are mostly unaware of the importance of Sindhi Adabi Sangat (SAS), Larkana Chapter, eminent this site which is occupying a major place in the world. researcher and archeologist Syed Hakim Ali Shah He said lots of funds are required to preserve the ruins Bukhari said, “It is tragic that work on Mohenjo Daro is from destruction (6). being carried out through contractors rather than archaeologists,” which he believed would cause Sindhi Language, Festivals, Music and Arts “considerable damage to the site” (2). In addition, Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and politician and scholar Jagesh Ahuja said that religious intangible attributes of a group or society that are extremism had destroyed the true identity of Sindh. inherited from past generations, maintained in the Renowned archaeologist Professor Dr Ghulam Mustafa present and bestowed for the benefit of future

Sindh Guardian | 27 generations. Cultural heritage includes tangible culture a language that is spoken by about 41 million people (such as buildings, monuments, landscapes, books, works in Pakistan and 12 million people in India. The Sindhi of art, and artifacts). It also includes intangible culture language is as well influenced by Sanskrit where traditions or living expressions inherited from our about 70% of the Sindhi words are of Sanskrit origin. ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral Since Sindhi is an extremely rich language with traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, vocabulary, it became a favorite to many writers. festive events, knowledge and practices concerning Accordingly, many poetry and literature have been nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to written in Sindhi, and it has been an inspiration for produce traditional crafts intangible culture (such as Sindhi music, art, culture, literature, and the way of folklore, and language), and natural heritage (such as life. The Sindhi language can be written using either culturally significant landscapes). Whatever shape they Arabic or the Devanagari script (4). take, these things form part of a heritage, and this heritage requires active effort on our part in order to Regarding festivals, the Sindhi people love their safeguard it. Accordingly, it is extremely important to religion and the two festivals of Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul- save the Sindhi language, festivals, music and arts along Adha, which are celebrated in Sindh with enthusiasm with saving historical sites. As cultural heritage and the and zeal. Different domestic festivals are arranged by history of any nation has a very high value and is the the local people to provide people with new things identity that can be introduced to the world. they buy on Eid’s occasion. On different occasions, the Folk dance of Bhagat is also performed by professionals to entertain the visiting people. Hence, a Sindhi Cultural Festival is a compound of folk dances, music and cheap entertainment for local people (4).

Furthermore, the Sindhi society is dominated by great Sufis, the mystics and the martyrs. It has always been the land of peace, love, romance, great cultural and artistic values. There were the great theologians of the Naqsh bandi order in Thatta who translated the fundamentals of the religion of Islam into their Sindhi Festival mother tongue. There were the great Sufi (mystic) The Sindhi language developed over a period of 2,400 poets like Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai who was the years. After coming in contact with the Aryan, the Sindhi cherisher of truth and spent all his life in its people’s language became Indo-Aryan (Prakrit). Thus, the propagation, pursuit and quest. Bhitai was also an Sindhi language is mainly based on Prakrit along with excellent musician. He invented a new type of musical Sanskrit, India’s language, some vocabulary from Arabic, instrument, Tambura (drone instrument), which till some Dravidian-descendants from Mediterranean sub- today, is a primary source of music in rural Sindh. The continent and Persian. Since, Sindhi had close contact beauty of Shah’s verses is enhanced by his blending of with Arabic-speaking Muslims, it adapted many Arabic traditional Indian rag with the Sindhi folk songs and words. The Sindhi language is an ancient language that is music. In conclusion, saving Sindhi cultural and spoken in Pakistan and other parts around the world, historical heritage is significant because they create and it is considered the second most spoken language in certain emotions within the people, and they make Pakistan, specifically in Sindh province. To illustrate, it is people feel as though they belong to something, a country, a tradition or a way of life (4). Sindh Guardian | 28

ext language, Urdu, as the national bringing Sindhi people into the fold VICTORIOUS: language began to impose their with official U.S. acknowledgement, expectations upon the populace in a sense, as had never been done PRESERVING across Pakistan: “Urdu only” (2). This before. Congressman Sherman’s came to a crescendo during the 1972 amendment was unanimously THE SINDHI language riots in Sindh, where a accepted by the House Foreign number of factions of mixed Affairs Committee, but the bill never LANGUAGE ethnicity, age, and occupation were became law (5). competing for Sindhi, Urdu, or Cultural Significance English to become official languages Written by Billy Hackett in the colloquial and official sectors of the province (3). Although its specific origins

remain a debate among scholars, The controversy over language was Sindhi is an ancient language that and remains much deeper than just continues to be spoken by what words escape one’s tongue; it communities around the globe. reflects a much greater conflict for Sindhi is the mother-tongue for ownership against a disappearance– roughly fifty-three million people or erasure– of heritage, land, and in Sindh and surrounding areas as class mobility for Sindhi people. This well as an estimated four million remains salient for Sindhis around beyond, from the African continent the world, and SAPAC as well as to the United States, as a result of members of the Congressional Sindh historic settlement of Sindhi Caucus have played an active role in traders and contemporary preserving the Sindhi language. immigration patterns (1, 8)

In 2011, Congressman Brad Sherman, There have been attempts to erase then-chair of the Asia Subcommittee Congressman Sherman did not give the Sindhi language for decades, in the United States House of up. In 2013, then-Prime Minister of which can be traced to the Representatives, introduced an Pakistan Nawaz Sharif expressed marginalization through amendment to the Federal Relations during a visit to Washington, D.C. separation of Sindhi people that Authorization Act for the fiscal year that he would welcome a VOA arose from the partition in 1947. (FY) 2012 to fund with $1.5 million Sindhi program when asked by Sindhi-Hindus, who owned a USD a Sindhi program as part of Congressman Sherman (5). The plurality of businesses as well as Voices of America (VOA). VOA is the proposal was reintroduced before government positions in the official broadcasting organization of the House of Representatives a region’s urban centers and spoke number of times, but additional the U.S. federal government, which the indigenous language, were attempts continued to prove provides online programming in a compelled to leave their ancestral unsuccessful. plurality of languages and countries home; they were in most cases around the world (4). This bill was replaced by non-Sindhi Muslims, The Congressional Sindh Caucus intended to supplement Urdu and or “Mohajirs,” who empowered by commissioned a 2015 report about and Hindi programming that had at the declaration of their own , Sindh from the Congressional one point or another been funded,

Sindh Guardian | 29

Research Service (CRS) to bolster demands for a VOA SINDHI ACTIVIST Sindhi program. The intent was, in part, to determine and make accessible the number of people who still GOES GLOBAL speak Sindhi in Pakistan. The CRS report drew on data Fatima Gul testifies before the from the CIA World Factbook to conclude that more people actually speak Sindhi (12%) than Urdu (8%) in United Nations Human Rights Pakistan, which directly contradicted Pakistan’s claim Council that more people speak Urdu than Sindhi and thus lended credence to the fight for services to be offered in Sindhi (6, 7).

Victory came in December 2019, a victory that will soon produce tangible effects for the global Sindhi community. The U.S. Congress approved after yet another attempt the appropriations measures for FY 2020, which included $500,000 USD to enable Sindhi- language broadcasting as part of a VOA radio program. This Federal Budget for FY 2020 was officially signed into law on December 20th, an exciting and important The mission of the United Nations Human Rights step that will guarantee the Sindhi language will be Council is to protect and promote human rights preserved, and Sindhi culture with it, despite efforts in around the world. In March 2020, Sindhi activist Pakistan to actively suppress such. Fatima Gul testified before this body to speak

about the forced religious conversions and This step does not mean that SAPAC’s advocacy ends– marriages of underaged Sindhi girls: far from it. With a decade now under our belt, SAPAC continues to tirelessly educate U.S. Representatives on "The Human Rights Council must ask the human rights violations that are taking place against Sindhi people that will continue to preserve Pakistan how it is right to abduct and uplift an endangered language, culture, and these girls, force them to marry, and livelihood for the benefit of all Sindhi people. convert them to Islam?"

Fatima's words place Pakistan at the center of this

troubling narrative, a narrative that the Government

is actively seeking to distance itself from. When

pressed by Sindhi activists to speak on human rights

abuses in two recent public events in Washington,

D.C. concerning U.S.-Pakistan relations, Pakistan's

Ambassador at Large for Foreign Investment Ali

Jehangir Siddiqui responded that these issues are not

unique to Pakistan and refused to take responsibility. Re-launch of the U.S. consulate in Karachi website As Pakistan moves to secure investments from the in Sindhi, another victory by Rep. Brad Sherman U.S. government and private business, we must ask:

Why should we invest in a country that covers up the Sindh Guardian | 30 abductions of its own people?

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS

SINDHIS; THE MOST VULNERABLE TO PAKISTAN'S SOCIAL MEDIA RESTRICTIONS The February 13th article “Pakistan Approves Broad New Restrictions Over Social Media” alludes to the broad concerns of human rights and democracy This Letter to the Editor advocates as well as Pakistan’s tourism industry, but does not name the specific of the Wall Street group who this dramatic move will affect most: Sindhis. Journal was written by Billy Hackett to Sindh, the southernmost province in Pakistan, is home to some 55 million highlight the ways that Sindhis and the largest community of religious minorities in the country: Sindhis specifically will Christians, Sufis, Sikhs, and Sindhi Hindus. Sindhis have been for millenia a be harmed by the peaceful people, but are now the targets for a little-reported yet concentrated Pakistani Government's human rights violations perpetrated by Pakistani military and agencies. announced crackdown on social media use. 2,000 cases of enforced disappearances, or arbitrary abductions sanctioned and Sindhis are little-known denied by state officials, remain unsolved in Sindh. Masood Shah, for instance, and rarely considered, was the only eye-witness to report a murder at the hands of a public official in certainly by mainstream Karachi, the capital of Sindh; he was subsequently abducted on September 20, media outlets. 2019. 11 of his brothers and friends were forcibly disappeared after protesting for his release and, after surfacing in Karachi, have now been charged with sedition. There has been no response from the Wall Each year 1,000 young, Sindhi-Hindu girls are abducted, forcibly married, and Street Journal converted to Islam. The same is true for over 700 Christian women throughout concerning publication Pakistan. Families who try to report their daughters as missing are most often of this letter. ignored by law enforcement and their reports are never submitted. Girls are therefore left with their abductors, by whom they are often coerced into silence through threats or use of violence against them or their families.

Given the dangers and obstacles to reporting these human rights violations through formal channels, social media has become the only method to share these stories and search for loved ones. Entire Facebook Pages and Twitter feeds are dedicated to highlighting new cases of missing Sindhis and demands for their release (or proof of legal wrongdoing, which is never supplied).

Sindhis using their voice to condemn the human rights abuses plaguing their community on social media will soon be labelled threats to national security and their perspectives will be erased from any illusion of public discourse. With these new regulations, the Government of Pakistan has just gained the ability to unconditionally silence Sindhis around the world– and more people need to be made aware of this, before it is too late.

Sindh Guardian | 31 LETTERS TO THE EDITORS

WHAT ABOUT SINDHIS? In a recent visit to Pakistan amid rising tensions with India, highlighted in the February 16th article “Pak-India relations: Important to ‘de-escalate, both militarily and verbally’, says UN chief,” the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres hailed Pakistan’s commitment to peace while failing to condemn Pakistan for the abuse of human rights sanctioned within its own borders, particularly in Sindh.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahood Qurreshi expressed renewed concern over Indian- occupied Kashmir, effectively avoiding Pakistan’s recent passage of censorship laws to regulate freedom of expression via social media. These social media restrictions are expected to disproportionately affect Sindhis, of whom there are an estimated 50 million, who circulate victim-profiles on Facebook of an increasing number of enforced disappearances and forced religious conversions targeting Sindhis at the hands of military or related agencies.

Formally reporting instances of an enforced disappearance in Pakistan opens oneself up to retaliatory abduction, and of those enforced disappearances reported approximately 2,000 cases remain unsolved in Sindh. Masood Shah, for instance, was the only eye-witness to report the murder of Irshad Ranjhani at the hands of a public official in Karachi, the capital of Sindh; he was subsequently abducted on September 20, 2019. Eleven of his brothers and friends were forcibly disappeared after protesting for his release and, after surfacing in Karachi, have now been charged with sedition. Masood Shah has remained disappeared.

These actions are not in line with a country that values and promotes peace, despite the strong narrative that such a Pakistan exists given its arbiter role on behalf of Kashmiris in India. The UN Secretary General should have seen through this facade and used the opportunity to speak for and protect Sindhis.

This Letter to the Editor of Dawn, the premier English-speaking news outlet in Pakistan, was written by Billy Hackett to express concern that the UN Secretary General did not mention the human rights abuses against Sindhis when in Pakistan.

There has been no response from Dawn concerning publication of this letter.

Sindh Guardian | 32 CONGRESSIONAL SINDH CAUCUS

These are the U.S. Representatives dedicated to standing up for the rights of Sindhis when few others do. The voice of the U.S. Government matters, and the Sindhi American Political Action Committee is grateful to these Members of Congress who seek to hold our strategic ally, Pakistan, to a higher standard.

Special thank you to the Chairman of the Congressional Sindh Caucus, Brad Sherman (left), for his support for Sindhis over the decade.

Chair Brad Sherman (D-CA-30)

Rep. Tom Suozzi Rep. Adam Schiff Rep. Ann Wagner Rep. Eleanor Norton (D-NY-03) (D-CA-29) (R-MO-02) (D-DC)

Rep. Carolyn Maloney Rep. Jaime Raskin Rep. Paul Gosar Rep. Pete Olson (D-NY-12) (D-MD-08) (R-AZ-04) (R-TX-22)

Rep. Sansford Bishop, Jr. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher Rep. André Carson Rep. Randy Weber (D-GA-02) (D-TX-07) (D-IN-07) (R-TX-14) REFERENCES

FORCED CONVERSIONS IN SINDH 1.Ackerman, R. (2018). Forced conversions and forced marriages in Sindh, Pakistan. Retrieved from https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/college-artslaw/ptr/ciforb/Forced-Conversions-and-Forced- Marriages-in-Sindh.pdf Imtiaz, S. (2017, August 14). 2.Hindu today, Muslim tomorrow. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/08/hindu-muslim-pakistan/536238/ Khokhar, S. (2019, December 3). 3.A 14-year-old Christian girl is kidnapped and converted in Karachi. Her parents appeal to the Court of Justice. Asia News. Retrieved from http://www.asianews.it/news-en/A-14-year-old-Christian-girl-is- kidnapped-and-converted-in-Karachi.-Her-parents-appeal-to-the-Court-of-Justice-48714.html “Morning Star News” (2020) 4.Pakistan court validates forced conversion, marriage of christian girl. Retrieved from https://www.eternitynews.com.au/opinion/pakistan-court-validates-forced-conversion-marriage-of-christian-girl/ Sarfraz, M. (2019, April 13). 5. In Pakistan, the problem of forced conversions. The Hindu. Retrieved from https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/in-pakistan-the-problem-of-forced-conversions/article26823108.ece “The Navhind Times” (2019) 6.Sindh: resolution demands end to forced conversions of Hindu girls. Retrieved from https://unpo.org/article/21588

THE CASE OF NOTAN LAL 1.“H.Res. 640:Condemning the global persecution of Christians.” GovTrack.us, 18 Oct. 2019 https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/hres640/text 2.Hashim, Asad. “Pakistani Police Detain Hindu School Principal over Blasphemy.” PakistanNews|Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 16 Sept. 2019,https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/pakistani-police-detain-hindu- schoolprincipal-blasphemy-190916083629192.html 3.Hashim, Asad. “‘Arbitrary’: Pakistan rejects U.S. Religious Freedom Designation.” PakistanNews|Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 25 Dec 2019,https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/pakistan-rejects-religious-freedom- designation-191225072023139.html 4.Jayaram,Rajiv. “Death for an Academic: Pakistan’s Blasphemy Law Again in Global Focus.”ORF.https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/death-academic-pakistan-blasphemy-law-aain-global-focus-59559/ 5.Masood, Salman. “Hindu Veterinarian Is Latest To Face Blasphemy Charges in Pakistan.”TheNew York Times, The New York Times, 30 May 2019.https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/30/world/asia/pakistan- blasphemy-law.html 6.Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. “Hearing: Human Rights in South Asia:Views from the State Department and the Region, Panel II Subcommittee on Asia, thePacific and Nonproliferation (Committee on Foreign Affairs).” Human Rights in SouthAsia: Views from the State Department and the Region, Panel II | Committee Repository |U.S. House of Representatives,docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/ByEvent.aspx?EventID=110143. 7.“What Are Pakistan’s Blasphemy Laws?” BBC News BBC, 25 Dec. 2019https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48204815

LAW ENFORCEMENT IN SINDH 1.Abbas, Hassan. “Police & Law Enforcement Reform in Pakistan: Crucial for Counterinsurgency and Counterterrorism Success.” Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, April 2009. 28. 2.Dharejo, Salam. “Bashir Khan Qureshi: Murder by Death?” News Time , May 2012, https://newslinemagazine.com/magazine/bashir-khan-qureshi-murder-by-death/ 3.Dogar, Nadeem. “Irshad Ranjhani Killing: UC Chairman Arrested.” Pakistan - Geo.tv, Geo News, 11 Feb. 2019, www.geo.tv/latest/227803-irshad-ranjhani-killing-uc-chairman-arrested-on-investigative-teams- recommendation 4.Extra Judicial Killings and Enforced Disappearances in Sindh, Pakistan. World Sindhi Congress, 2017, pp. 1–12. 5.Kine, P. “This Crooked System: Police Abuse and Reform in Pakistan.” Human Rights Watch, 26 Sept. 2016, https://www.hrw.org/report/2016/09/26/crooked-system/police-abuse-and-reform-pakistan 6.Suddle, Muhammad. Police System of Pakistan. Pakistan Institute of LegislativeDepartment and Transparency. Oct. 2015. Retrieved from http://www.millat.com/wp- content/uploads/pdf/democracy/PoliceSystemofPakistan_PositionPaper.pdf 7.“Violence in Sindh after Bodies of Two JSMM Men Found.” Dawn , 29 Apr. 2013, https://www.dawn.com/news/794725/violence-in-sindh-after-bodies-of-two-jsmm-men-found

THE SYSTEM OF EDUCATION IN SINDH 1.Ali, Salman. “Ignoring Girls’ Education in Sindh.” Daily Times, 14 Oct. 2019, Retrieved from https://dailytimes.com.pk/483642/ignoring-girls-education-in-sindh/ 2.Arijo, Nazeer A. “Sindh’s Education System Must Be Reformed.” Daily Times, 27 May 2018, Retrieved from https://dailytimes.com.pk/245497/sindhs-education-system-must-be-reformed/ 3.Fatimakhan. “Education Crisis in Sindh.” World Pulse, 9 Feb. 2020, Retrieved from https://www.worldpulse.com/community/users/fatimakhan/posts/93295 4.Rustmani, Javed. “Sindh’s Education System.” The Nation, The Nation, 9 Feb. 2019, Retrieved from https://nation.com.pk/10-Feb-2019/sindh-s-education-system 5.Rustmani, Riaz A. “Sindh’s Education System.” The Nation, The Nation, 3 Jan 2018, Retrieved from https://nation.com.pk/04-Jan-2018/sindh-education-system 6.“Sindh Education Issues.” Daily Times, 10 Dec. 2017, Retrieved from https://dailytimes.com.pk/156734/sindh-education-issues/

SINDH BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAM 1.“About SBEP.” Sindhi Basic Education Program, USAID, sbep.gos.pk/about-us.United States Agency for International Development. (2019). 2.Sindh Reading Program Final Report: Prepared by Chemonics International Inc. USAID.United States Agency for International Development. (2017). 3.Sindh Community Mobilization Program Midterm Performance Evaluation: Prepared by Management Systems International. USAID.

RABIES OUTBREAK IN SINDH 1.Bhatti, Waqar. “Teenage Rabies Victim Awaits Death at JPMC as Vaccine Shortage Persists Across Sindh.” The News, The News International, 9 Nov. 2019, https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/553329-teenage- Rabies-victim-awaits-death-at-jpmc-as-vaccine-shortage-persists-across-sindh 2.“Four Children Bitten By Rabid Dogs in Multan: Samaa.” SamaaTV, https://www.samaa.tv/news/2019/09/four-children-bitten-by-rabid-dog-in-multan/ 3.Ilyas, Faiza. “Initiative to Make Karachi Rabies-Free Launched.” DAWN.COM 5 Oct. 2019, https://www.dawn.com/news/1509000 4.Junaid, Ikram and Aamir Yasin. “Dog Bite Victims Left in the Lurch Due to Rabies vaccineShortage in Hospitals.”DAWN.COM. 22 Nov. 2019, https://www.dawn.com/news/1518137 5. “Pak Faces Shortage of Anti-Rabies Vaccine as India, China Halt Supply.” HindustanTimes, 15 Oct.2019, https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pak-faces-shortage-of-anti-rabies-vaccine-as-indiachina- halt-supply/story-TRS1saXkAHjqG7GH9FgvZO.html

SINDHI HERITAGE & CULTURE 1.“Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Department.” Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Department. Retrieved from https://sindhculture.gov.pk 2.“Funds Being Wasted at Mohenjo Daro: Archeologists.” Pakistan Today, 25 Aug. 2019. Retrieved from https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2019/08/25/funds-being-wasted-at-mohenjo-daro-conference-told/ 3.“Mohenjo-Daro Gradually Passes through Its Final Phase of Destruction.” India Today, 2 Apr. 2015. Retrieved from https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/heritage/story/19771015-mohenjo-daro-gradually-passes- through-its-final-phase-of-destruction-823896-2014-05-26 4. “Sindhi Culture.” History Pak. Retrieved from https://historypak.com/sindhi-culture/ 5.Khushik, Qurban Ali. “Ranikot Fort Crumbling Because of Official Neglect.” Dawn.com. Retrieved from https://www.dawn.com/news/1379975 6.Staff Report. “Centuries-Old Rich Culture of Province Highlight on Sindhi Culture Day.” Daily Times, 2 Dec. 2019. Retrieved from https://dailytimes.com.pk/511439/centuries-old-rich-culture-of-province- highlighted-on-sindhi-culture-day/ 7.Sutherland, A. “Ranikot Fort: Gigantic Great Wall of Pakistan Shows Greatness of Indus Valley Civilization.” Ancient Pages, 29 Feb. 2020. Retrieved from http://www.ancientpages.com/2019/03/27/ranikot-fort- gigantic-great-wall-of-pakistan-shows-greatness-of-indus-valley-civilization/ 8.The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Mohenjo-Daro.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Hubert-Marshall 9.Tiwana, Imrana. “Situational Analysis on Culture in the Four Provinces of Pakistan.” UNESCO, Aug. 2011. Retrieved from http://unesco.org.pk/culture/documents/situationanalysis/Situational_Analysis_Culture_in_the_Four_Provinces.pdf

VICTORIOUS: PRESERVING THE SINDHI LANGUAGE 1.Lalwani, Jagu. “History of Sindhi Language.” Sindhishaan, vol. 4, no. 4, Dec. 2005 http://www.sindhishaan.com/article/language/lang_04_04.html. 2.Hasan, Sibte. “1972 Riots: Was It a Language Issue?” Herald Magazine, 23 Sept. 2015, herald.dawn.com/news/1153263. 3.Shafi, Mohammad. “Language Controversy in Sindh.” Pakistan Forum, vol. 2, no. 11, 1972, p. 9., doi:10.2307/2568980. 4.“Home Page.” Voice of America , United States, www.voanews.com/. 5.“Pakistan's Prime Minister Tells Foreign Affairs Committee He Would Welcome Voice of America in Sindhi.” Congressman Brad Sherman, 20 Dec. 2013, sherman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pakistans- prime-minister-tells-foreign-affairs-committee-he-would. 6.Kronstadt, K. Alan. “Pakistan’s Sindh Province.” CRS Report No. x7-5415, 29, Oct. 2015. Retrieved from Congressional Research Service website: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/sindh.pdf. 7.“The World Factbook: Pakistan.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, 1 Feb. 2018, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pk.html. 8.“Sindhi Culture.” History Pak. Retrieved from https://historypak.com/sindhi-culture/ HI IND N S RICA AME PAC 2020 sindipac.org