MQM-LED OPPRESSED NATIONS’ PROTEST DEMO FOR SELF-DETERMINATION IN WASHINGTON DC

The protest rally was produced under the banner of the MQM and representatives of Balouch,Pashtuns,Sindhis,Gilgit-Baltistani nations took part in it actively and laid their demands before the international community and the UN. They demanded the right of self-determination to decide about their future as these oppressed nations feel they can’t live together in Pakistan and wanted freedom from Pakistan.From the MQM side, MQM USA Central Organising Committee Shahid Mustafa,Rehan Ibadat,Suhail Shams,Matloob Zaidi,Suhail Yousufzai and chapter in-charges led the rally while Balouch,Pashtun,Gilgit-Baltistani leaders represented their nations.

The participants of the rally had reached the city of Washington and assembled on Dupont Circle. US administrations and cops had provided a full security cover to the participants of the rally.The participants had demanded for the self-determination right for the Mohajirs and for the freedom of Balouchistan.The participants had held portraits of the MQM’s founder leader Altaf Hussain and paid him tribute through warm slogans.The participants held Pakistan a terrorist country and demanded that the international community and the UN should play active part in stopping genocide of Mohajirs,Balouchs,Pashtuns,Gilgitis and Baltistanis and all other oppressed nations including the religious minorities.The rally was covered live by the VOA and a US Radio.

MQM’s Shahid Mustafa and Rehan Ibadat while talking to the participants said that as a collective effort we have gathered today to represent all the Oppressed Ethnic Nations residing in the current geographical boundaries of Pakistan. We Mohajir, Balouch, Gilgit-Baltistani, Pashtun, and other religious minorities’ demand separate land by exercising our ‘Right of Self Determination.’ We, ethnic minorities are facing worst form of genocide against the mankind. The ongoing ‘Enforced Disappearances’, ‘Extra-Judicial Killings’, and denial of basic human rights by this ferocious Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) of Pakistan,particularly Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) are the primary factors.They said that the terror sponsoring state of Pakistan and its ISI has a long history of nurturing Terrorist Organisations, providing safe heavens, and training militants and banned religious outfits in the 

‘Northern Mountainous Region’.Thus, creating terrorism and unrest inside and outside of Pakistan, mainly in the neighbouring countries like India, Afghanistan, and Iran.

They said that, “We have continued to raise our voices on denial of basic fundamental rights, such as freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of movement.” “Violating all democratic norms, Pakistan has placed a constraint on print and electronic media to ban speeches and even pictures of Mr. Altaf Hussain (Founder Leader of MQM).”They said they believed, this kind of act is a serious violation of Freedom of Speech, and an exercise of dictatorial power, in a “So-Called” democratic nation.They it is their belief that all humans are equal, and possess Right of Self Determination. In particular, this principle allows people to choose their own political status and to determine its own form of economic, cultural, religious and social development.

Exercising of this right can result in a variety of different outcomes ranging from political independence to full disintegration from the state. Nevertheless, the right to self-determination is recognized in international law as a right of process (not of outcome) belonging to peoples and not to states or governments, and certainly not to the military establishment, they added.

They concluded that they believed all of the above-mentioned barbaric actions are gross violations of International Charter of Human Rights, as Pakistan’s Civil and Military Establishment continues to deny civil liberties and freedom. Furthermore, they are driving the ethnic identities towards eradication. It is now incumbent that International Community must understand our plight, and help us achieve the Right of Self Determination.Speaking on the occasion, eminent Balouch leader Nabi Bux Balouch gave a detailed description of war crimes, terror-sponsoring and inflicting atrocities to the oppressed nations as below;

1. Pakistan is a military state that has been engaged in wars and war crimes against its neighbours and citizens since its inception in1947.

2. Pakistan is a state sponsor of terrorism and epicenter of global jihadist movements and militant groups involved in cross border terror attacks against its neighbours – India and Afghanistan; creating an environment of political instability and zones of conflict that could lead to large scale war and nuclear catastrophe.

3. FATF, a terrorism watchdog, has put Pakistan on its grey list and recently expressed serious concerns over the insufficient measures Islamabad has taken to stop the flow of money to the banned outfits such as Jaish-e Mohammad (JeM), Jamat Ud Dawa (JuD), and Lashkar-e Tayba with safe havens in the country, funded, trained & directed in Kashmir against Indian troops by the ISI. 

4. Pulwama attack in Kashmir on Indian troops was claimed by Masood Azhar, chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed living in protective custody of Pakistan Army and its ISI. The US, supported by France and the UK, has moved a draft resolution in UNSC to blacklist Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. The resolution has been blocked by China, Pakistan’s strategic ally in the region and architect of the 62 billion dollar CPEC component of One Belt One Road. Masood Azhar now enjoys the status of a protected person in Pakistan as well as being “China’s favourite terrorist.”

5. The impact of CPEC on Balouchistan begins with the loss of Gwadar to China and will end up with the fishing town and the whole coastal belt of Makran up to Jiwani turned into a Chinese naval base and a settler’s colony with 2 million foreigners, changing the demography and the culture of the Balouch people. Its already the main cause of escalation in the human rights violations, rise in forced disappearances and burning of villages along the path of CPEC mega projects.

6. We support the US-led Afghanistan peace process and the ongoing negotiations between the US special envoy and the Taliban in Doha. We also believe that the present Afghan government of President Ashraf Ghani should be a party to the dialogue along with other Afghan sections of civil society.

7. Without peace in Afghanistan and the dismantling of terror structures inside Pakistan, the political instability in the region will escalate into a civil war that could become a major threat to world peace.

The eminent leader of Gilgit-Baltistan Senge Sering in his speech said that the UN had through resolution 47 asked Pakistan to withdraw its troops from Gilgit-Baltistan in 90 days but Pakistan had since past 70 years not responded to UN resolutions. Pakistan has no standing in Gilgit-Baltistan. Pakistan is stealing resources from Gilgit-Baltistan