Kashmiri activist lambastes Pak at UNHRC for targeting ethnic minorities

INTERNATIONAL DESK: A social activist hailing from India’s Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir has lambasted Pakistan for targeting ethnic minorities, especially Shias.

Javed Beigh, a social activist from Kashmir Valley intervened in an Interactive dialogue with the Working Group (WG) on arbitrary detention during the 54th UNHRC session in Geneva. Javed highlighted the rise of extremist Sunni religious organisations which frequently target the minority Shias.

He said, “Pakistan is notorious for arbitrary detentions of its citizens including those from ethnic minority communities like Baloch, Pashtuns, Sindhis and Urdu-speaking Mohajirs. Since the last few decades with the rise of extremist Sunni religious organisations, there has been an exponential increase in arbitrary detention cases of Pakistan’s Shia minority which comprises about 15-20 per cent of the total Muslim population of Pakistan”.

The Kashmiri social activist also expressed concern about Pakistan’s Shia community including educational professionals being targeted by authorities.

Beigh further added that Shias have now replaced Christians and Ahmadiyas as the largest victims of fabricated Blasphemy cases arbitrarily imposed against them.

He stated that between 2001 to 2018, approximately 4847 Shias were killed in various incidents of sectarian violence as per Pakistan’s records.

However, independent databases have estimated that some 10,000 Shias lost their lives in Pakistan from 2001 to 2018. “Muslim Vibe” has further quoted that almost 23000 Shias have been murdered in Pakistan since 1963. “Ahle-Sunnat -Wal Jamaat”, an anti-Shia front, has been responsible for this act against Shias.

Beigh has brought to the notice of the Human Rights Council that this slow genocide of Shias in Pakistan should be ended. (BS)