World Sindhi Congress leader Rauf Laghari, while addressing the 7th Balochistan International Conference of the Baloch National Movement (BNM) at the Geneva Press Club, said that depriving oppressed peoples like Sindhis, Baloch, and Pashtuns of political, cultural, and economic rights is not only a humanitarian tragedy but also a threat to regional peace and global security. Suppressing dissent, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and silencing activists are crimes that the international community can no longer ignore.
The title of this gathering, ‘The Struggle for Balochistan Rights: Resistance and Regional Significance’, resonates deeply with us. For decades, our nations have shared not only geography but also a common history of resistance against oppression, denial of rights, and systematic exploitation. The Sindhi and Baloch nations are bound together by our shared desire for freedom, dignity, and self-determination. The Baloch struggle is not an isolated issue but part of a broader crisis of justice in Pakistan.”
He said, we Sindhis know this pain all too well. We have witnessed the plunder of our land and water resources, the marginalization of our culture and language, and, like our Baloch brothers and sisters, we have continued to face the heavy hand of state repression. Yet, despite all these challenges, our spirit of resistance remains unbroken.
“Today, we wish to emphasise one message: solidarity is our strength. When Sindhi and Baloch voices unite, the call for justice grows louder. When we join hands with democratic forces, human rights defenders, and friends of freedom around the world, our struggle can neither be silenced nor forgotten. I also pay tribute to those brave individuals who document, report, and raise their voices—often at great personal risk. Their sacrifices remind us that the struggle for freedom and dignity is not only political but deeply human.”
Rauf Laghari said, today as we gather in Geneva, the home of human rights institutions, I appeal to the international community: listen, act, and stand with the oppressed. Silence in the face of injustice is complicity. We need moral clarity and political will to hold the perpetrators accountable and to support the legitimate aspirations of the oppressed nations in Pakistan.
In the conclusion of his speech, he said, I want to reaffirm the unwavering commitment of the World Sindhi Congress to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Baloch nation. Your struggle is our struggle, your pain is our pain, and your freedom is our freedom. Together, we will continue to raise our voices until justice is achieved.
