In the framework of the United Nations 60th Human Rights Council, the World Sindh Congress organized a Rally for Human Rights in Sindh and a conference, bringing together scholars and activists to present their testimonies, research and analysis on the situation of the Sindhi people in Pakistan. UNPO was present in support of Sindh, urging attention to the civil, political, and economic exploitation of Sindh by Pakistan’s military establishment.
The Sindhi people are primarily based in South-East Pakistan, on the border with India, and are the third largest ethnic group in the country. They have a deep cultural heritage that stretches over millennia back to the ancient Indus Valley civilization. Historically recognised as a separate political and territorial entity, Sindh lost its autonomous sovereignty after the Pakistani-Indian separation in 1947 and has since lived under Pakistan’s military authoritarian rule. The state has attempted to erase Sindh’s distinct culture, language, heritage, and lands.
Today, the Sindhi people face a proliferation of human rights abuses, ranging from arbitrary arrests, to enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, political repression and religious persecution. Ethnic Sindhis and religious minorities have become the main targets of these violations in the region, with over 14,000 people currently missing across Pakistan due to the government’s repressive policies, which include forced disappearance to mute dissent in the region.
Environmental degradation is added to the list of concerns. Despite being rich in natural resources, including oil and gas, the province remains one of the poorest in Pakistan. Revenues from these resources are diverted away from the local population, who are left to bear the environmental cost of fossil fuel projects that pollute their land and water.
Water insecurity has become one of the most urgent threats. The Sindh province now receives 80% less than its due share of water, severely affecting the agriculturally dependent province and its economy. It was underlined during the conference that under international water law, countries are entitled to develop their water resources; however, the Pakistani state is not respecting the principles of equitable and reasonable use, contributing to tensions and discord over water management in the region.
At the same time, catastrophic floods highlight how mismanagement of river systems and climate vulnerability are devastating communities. According to Arab News, the most recent floods have killed more than 1,000 people since late June, with the Indus River in flood stage at multiple barrages across Sindh. Over 300,000 people remain displaced in relief camps as agricultural land and homes have been destroyed.
The plight of Sindh is not only a human rights issue, but also a pressing case of environmental justice. UNPO stands firmly alongside Sindh, reaffirming its right to self-determination, environmental protection, and social justice. At the Sindh International Conference, a UNPO representative emphasized this commitment, stating:
“Distinguished people of Sindh and all who stand with them,
I speak to you on behalf of the Secretary-General of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization. Although the Secretary-General could not join you in person at this important protest, please know that all members of the UNPO Secretariat and our wider membership stand firmly with you in solidarity.
Today, we stand united, with one voice, driven by a common purpose and a shared resolve to denounce the relentless civil, political, and economic exploitation of Sindh by Pakistan’s military establishment. For decades, the struggles of over 60 million Sindhi people have been silenced, their rights ignored, and their dignity trampled upon. Today, we stand together to call for justice, international solidarity, and the full exercise of the right to self-determination—a right guaranteed to all peoples under international law.
The land, water, oil, gas, coal, and culture of Sindh are being exploited without regard for the people who live here. These actions are not only unjust; they are violations of the very principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and two Covenants.
UNPO condemns the exploitation of Sindh’s newly discovered oil reserves. What Islamabad calls an economic triumph is in fact a project of dispossession through extraction—backed by foreign alliances with Turkey and the United States,— that strips people of their land, silences their voices, and fuels instability in an already volatile region. Sindh must not be turned into a resource frontier where outsiders profit while its people pay the price.
The rights of the Sindhi people are at stake. Their livelihoods, their cultural heritage, and their environment are in danger from projects imposed without free, prior, and informed consent. These exploitative ventures militarize the region, destabilize relations between two nuclear-armed states, and endanger the fragile balance of regional peace.
Moreover, this reckless expansion of fossil fuel exploration flies in the face of global climate commitments. Sindh is already on the frontline of climate change. The devastating floods that swept through this land are a stark reminder of its vulnerability. To now burden these communities with further environmental destruction is not just irresponsible—it is an act that threatens all communities striving for a sustainable future.
UNPO stands firmly alongside Sindh. We reaffirm the inalienable right of the Sindhi people to self-determination, to the protection of their environment, and to social justice. We call upon the international community to stand with Sindh, to speak out against exploitation, and to ensure that the voices of Sindhi people are heard and respected. Will we allow Sindh to become another Ogoni, exploited like in Nigeria by Shell?
Let us make it clear: the future of Sindh belongs to its people—not to the military establishment, not to foreign corporations, and not to those who seek to profit from its suffering. Sindh’s struggle is part of the global struggle for human rights, justice, and dignity.
Together, we will stand until justice is done.
Thank you.”
