World Sindhi Congress lauds UK for sanctions on Pak cleric Mian Mithu accused of conversions

London, Dec 12: The World Sindhi Congress (WSC) thanked the UK government for sanctioning Mian Mithu who has been involved in the conversions of Sindhi Hindu girls in Sindh. Mian is an influential cleric and a politician in Pakistan. He was accused of forced conversions and is among the 30 entities sanctioned by the UK. For the last three years the WSC has actively interacted with the All Parties Parliamentary Committee for Pakistani Minorities over the issue.

For two decades the WSC has worked to end the persecution of minorities which also involves forced conversions.

According to the statement, the WSC met with the committee on several occasions to inform them about the gravity of the crimes against the Sindhi Hindus. Last year, the committee issued a detailed report titled 'Abductions Forced Conversions and Forced Marriages of Religious Minority Women and Girls in Pakistan.'

The WSC submitted a detailed brief following which the report mentioned Mian Mithu. The WSC urged the UK government to implement the report's additional recommendations in order to provide relief to religious minorities in Pakistan, notably the Sindhi Hindus.

In November the WSC held the 34th International Conference on Sindh in London. Addressing the conference, Dr. Rubina Shaikh the chairperson of the WSC said that the Sindhis are witnessing the worst period in history.

The WSC urged the international institutions including the United Nations to file a case of genocide against the Pakistani government in local and international courts.

Sindh is going through the worst period in history. Sindhis have to make a joint, systematic and united struggle for the right to self-determination for their homeland," Dr. Rubina Shaikh said.

The World Sindhi Conference proposed resolutions on various issues relating to Sindh. In the resolutions, the WSC said that the people of 23 districts of Sindh continue to lead a very hard life. It also blamed the federal and provisional governments for the same.