Latest news with #Punjabi-dominated
India Gazette
23-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
JSMM urges global recognition for Sindhudesh, calls for action against Pakistani oppression
Darmstadt [Germany], May 23 (ANI): The Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), led by chairman Shafi Burfat, has made an urgent request to the United Nations, international human rights organisations, democratic nations, and global civil groups to acknowledge Sindhudesh as an independent nation and denounce Pakistan's ongoing military control and systematic oppression of the Sindhi people. In a detailed political and humanitarian document entitled The Sindhudesh Global Freedom Charter, JSMM emphasised Sindh's rich civilisational history and its ongoing battle against colonial rule, first under British domination and then under what it refers to as a 'Punjabi-dominated military-security state' in Pakistan. The Charter claims that Sindh, which is home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation, was never a willing participant in the establishment of Pakistan. JSMM contended that the inclusion of Sindh in Pakistan in 1947 constituted a betrayal of its national aspirations and historical identity. According to JSMM, Sindh currently exists under a form of colonial rule, deprived of sovereignty and controlled through military and political oppression. JSMM has accused the Pakistani government of exploiting Sindh's abundant natural resources, including oil, gas, coal, ports, and agricultural land, while leaving the region in poverty. It asserted that state-sponsored resettlement initiatives are being employed to change Sindh's demographic profile, diminishing Sindhis to a minority in their land. The Charter also points out the environmental damage caused by the redirection of the Indus River, which has led to the desertification of fertile Sindhi territory. The statement firmly condemned Pakistan's security forces for perpetrating serious human rights abuses in Sindh, including enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings of political activists, journalists, and student leaders. It mentioned that anti-terrorism legislation is being misused to target secular and nationalist movements, whereas religious extremists receive support from the state. JSMM reiterated its call for a free, secular, and democratic Republic of Sindhudesh, rooted in principles of equality, minority rights, and social welfare. It referenced international regulations, such as the UN Charter and the ICCPR, to advocate for Sindh's right to self-determination. In a particular message to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India, JSMM appealed for moral, political, and practical backing, stressing the historical and cultural connections between Sindh and India. Additionally, it urged international organisations to dispatch observers, denounce human rights violations, and aid Sindh's peaceful liberation movement. (ANI)
Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Field Marshal Asim Munir, of a Pakistan in denial
The ceremonial elevation of Pakistan's General Asim Munir to the rank of Field Marshal may appear, at first glance, to be an assertion of military strength after India's Operation Sindoor. In truth, it is a symptom of state fragility. Rather than a symbol of national unity, the conferral of this title lays bare the deep and growing incoherence at the heart of the Pakistani state, an entity that increasingly relies on the illusion of martial grandeur to mask a chronic political, institutional, and ideological breakdown. General Munir is no ordinary military man. A former chief of both the Directorate of Military Intelligence and the ISI, and known for his public zealotry and ideological certitude, he is not merely a soldier; he is the embodiment of a system where khaki, creed, and coercion have become the scaffolding of the state. But to honour a serving general with a rank drawn from colonial pageantry, only the second time in Pakistan's history, is not to project strength but to paper over the collapse of consensus. What was once a functioning, if fragile, federation now resembles a brittle union held together by force and fear. The traditional bargain between the Punjabi-dominated military elite and Pakistan's diverse peripheries, always uneasy, is today under existential strain. The founding premise of Pakistan was, in essence, a rejection: That the Muslims of the Subcontinent could not coexist with Hindus in a single democratic polity. This negative identity, born not of cultural confidence but of fear, was never accompanied by a coherent, inclusive national vision. The two-nation theory offered a religious identity, but no political architecture to contain the diversity of its own people. And so, the army stepped in, not just as a defender of territory, but as the guardian of ideology. With a fragile political class, pliable judiciary, and weakened federal compact, the military filled the vacuum. Worse, it framed itself as the sole custodian of Pakistan's 'ideological frontiers': A chilling phrase that placed dissent, federalism, and pluralism outside the bounds of loyalty and that has no analogue in any modern democracy. In this sense, the military's hold on power was not accidental; it was functional, but also ideological. Each phase of martial ascendancy has been legitimised by a logic of existential threat: From India, from internal disorder, from subversion. Indeed, the doctrine of 'Islam in danger' proved remarkably elastic in justifying military supremacy. In this schema, Islam became less a faith than a national armour. It was used to homogenise, suppress, and punish: Bengali aspirations were heresy; Baloch resistance was treason; Sindhi identity was sedition. When the people of East Pakistan rose in democratic revolt, they were crushed with genocidal violence. Bangladesh's birth in 1971 was not merely a geopolitical event, it was the moment the idea of Pakistan cracked irreparably. Religion had failed to mask the reality of ethnic, linguistic, and political diversity. And yet, the lesson was never learned. Today, Balochistan burns. Insurgents claim not just rights but independence. Leaders like Mir Yar Baloch declare freedom from a state they never felt part of. In Sindh, movements like the Jeay Sindh Freedom Movement demand justice for the disappeared and dignity for the dispossessed. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement seeks demilitarisation and accountability from the very forces that claim to defend the republic. This is not a state in control. It is a state in denial. Instead of reconciling with its past, Pakistan has deepened its militarisation and outsourced parts of its 'strategic depth' to terrorist proxies. The ISI's long courtship of outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed is no secret. But what is less understood is how these groups serve a dual purpose: Projecting power abroad while stoking nationalist fervour at home. It is a strategy that has won short-term tactical gain at the cost of long-term self-destruction. The recent anti-terror operation by Indian forces deep inside Pakistani territory, following a brutal attack in Pahalgam, is only the latest reminder that this infrastructure of terror is both a threat to the region and a cancer within Pakistan itself. And what is Rawalpindi's response? A Field Marshal's baton. Not introspection, not civilian dialogue, not constitutional federalism — but pageantry, hierarchy, and silence. As Stephen P Cohen once wrote, the Pakistan army 'is not just a military machine; it is the ultimate defender of the Pakistani idea'. But that very idea is fraying. What does Pakistan stand for today beyond its rejection of India and its invocation of Islam? Where is the inclusive, pluralist vision that can bind its peoples together without the constant resort to repression? Bangladesh was the first great rupture. It revealed that religious identity alone cannot substitute for democracy, dignity, and recognition. Today, that same lesson is being written again, not in history books but in real time — through insurgencies, silenced voices, and the creeping retreat of the civilian state. And yet, the response is not reform. It is a ritual. A baton, a ceremony, a Field Marshal's rank. The stately choreography of decline. Pakistan's crisis is not simply that the military dominates. It is that there is nothing left to counterbalance it; no trusted political class, no independent judiciary of consequence, no credible national narrative. The state speaks only in one voice, and it wears epaulettes. Faiz Ahmed Faiz, ever the conscience of a betrayed revolution, once wrote: 'Ye daagh daagh ujaala, ye shab-gazida sahar/Woh intezaar tha jiska, ye woh sahar toh nahin (This stained light, this night-bitten dawn/This is not the dawn we waited for).' Nor, one suspects, is this the nation that its founders once imagined. The writer is professor and dean of the School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University and honorary professor at the University of Melbourne. He was founding director of the Australia India Institute
India.com
21-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
First Balochistan, Now Sindh Rises To Challenge Pakistan: Sharif Govt's Crumbling Grip Exposed As Calls For Freedom Grow Louder
New Delhi: Little did the Pakistani security forces know that their authoritarian control over Sindh would face a rebellious confrontation on May 20 when one of their convoys of armored vehicles was stopped by a fearless group of civilians belonging to the Sindh province. Shouting 'Kal bana tha Bangladesh, aaj banega Sindhudesh (Yesterday Bangladesh was born, today Sindhudesh will rise)', they stood united and confronted head-on the military's 'illegal occupation' of their province. Caught on camera, unarmed ordinary citizens – who include workers, students and farmers – blocked the Pakistan Army's convoy powered by their courage and an resolve to get freedom. Shared widely on X, men and women can be seen in the viral video confronting armed soldiers – accusing them of 'stifling their voices', 'erasing their culture' and 'plundering' their land through decades of alleged systemic oppression. 'Kal Bana Tha Bangladesh, Aaj Banega Sindhudesh' Civilians in Sindh stop Pakistan Army convoy to confront them on camera to seek freedom from Pakistani Military's illegal occupation. Watch the video! — Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) May 20, 2025 Sindh is a province, which has allegedly been long exploited for its resources and silenced by the 'authoritarian rulers'. Unarmed ordinary citizens, who include workers, students and farmers, blocked the Pakistan Army's convoy with nothing but their courage and a burning desire for freedom. The resistance sent shockwaves to those in power. The protest exposed Pakistan's fragility and signalled that the nation is on the verge of collapse despite Islamabad using all means to suppress it. Infamous for curbing dissents with brutal unaccountable force, the Pakistan's military today stood exposed as the crowd demanded an end to 'illegal occupation'. Led by Jeay Sindh Qaumi Movement and other nationalist groups, the agitators accused the Army of treating Sindh as a colony and siphoning off its wealth while leaving its people in poverty. 'You have taken our land, rivers and our dignity,' one protester – pointing at the soldiers, whose faces betrayed unease as the cameras rolled. The protest and the slogan invoked the memory of Bangladesh's liberation in 1971 – a watershed moment of Pakistan's history of losing control over its regions because of its 'heavy-handed policies'. The reference to Bangladesh is not only a rhetoric. It is a warning that Sindh, like Balochistan and other ignored regions, is ready to break free from Pakistan's suffocating grip. Many see the Sindh uprising as another crack in Pakistan's crumbling facade. Born after violent partition of 1947, the nation has been struggling for long to hold together its diverse provinces under a Punjabi-dominated military regime. A series of attacks by the powerful Balochistan Liberation Army, including a deadly IED strike – killing 14 Pakistani soldiers, and ongoing unrest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa highlight a country unraveling at the seams. Inspired by the historical precedent of Bangladesh's independence, Sindh's defiance signals a growing rejection of Pakistan's failed statehood, where military might and religious nationalism have suppressed ethnic identities for too long. Although those at the helm of affairs in Islamabad may try hard to maintain their narrative of control, the demand for 'Sindhudesh' – a result of economic neglect, cultural erasure and forced disappearances – is growing louder and powerful day by day. With its crumbling economy and bloated military budget, the Pakistani state faces another movement that it cannot suppress with propaganda and guns. Like Bangladesh broke itself free from the oppressive chains of Pakistan in 1971, Sindh too is writing it story of liberation.
News18
17-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
Beaten, Burnt, Shot: Inside Pakistan Army's Brutal Kill-And-Dump Policy In Balochistan
Following the March 2025 hijacking of the Jaffar Express by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Pakistan has intensified its reliance on state-supported militias to crush Baloch dissent. Intelligence sources say the Pakistan Army has upgraded the operational scope of its death squads—such as the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Aman Balochistan—while distancing itself from direct involvement to maintain plausible deniability and deflect international scrutiny. The model, which mirrors Pakistan's past strategy in Kashmir, is designed to avoid direct army casualties. Punjabi-dominated military and intelligence units, including the Frontier Corps (FC) and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), now provide arms and funds to tribal leaders like Shafiq Mengal of the Musallah Defah Tanzeem to target alleged BLA sympathisers.
India.com
08-05-2025
- India.com
Who is Sheikh Sajjad Gul, the mastermind behind Pahalgam terror attack, know his Karnataka and Kerala links
Sheikh Sajjad Gul New Delhi: The relationship between India and Pakistan touched a new low after Pakistan-backed terrorists attacked innocent tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. Sheikh Sajjad Gul, a 50-year-old Kashmiri and head of Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy The Resistance Front (TRF), has emerged as the mastermind of the cowardly attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists, on April 22. Holed up in the Cantonment town of Rawalpindi, Pakistan, under the patronage of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Gul, who also goes by the alias of Sajjad Ahmed Sheikh, has been a planner of a number of terror attacks, including targeted killings between 2020 and 2024 in Central and South Kashmir, grenade attacks in Central Kashmir in 2023, ambush of J&K police personnel in Bijbehra in Anantnag, Gagangir, Z-Morh Tunnel attack in Ganderbal. The NIA had designated him a terrorist in April 2022 and kept a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head. The official said that during the investigation into the deadly April 22 Pahalgam attack, links and some communications have been traced back to Gul. The TRF had claimed responsibility for the attack. The group, under Gul's instruction, had shot 25 tourists at point-blank range after asking their religion in Pahalgam on April 22. A local tourist guide was also killed by the terrorists. Used by Pakistan's external snooping agency ISI as a Kashmiri face of the local Punjabi-dominated Lashkar-e-Taiba, Sheikh was educated in Srinagar and did his MBA from Bangalore, later pivoting to a lab technician course in Kerala. He returned to the Valley, where he opened a diagnostic lab and started providing logistical support to the terror group. During his work as an overground worker (OGW) of the terror group, Gul was caught by the Special Cell of the Delhi police in 2002 from Nizamuddin Railway Station with 5 kilograms of RDX. It was revealed that he was conducting a recce and conspiring to conduct serial blasts in the national capital, for which he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on August 7, 2003. He moved to Pakistan after his release from prison in 2017, where the ISI chose him to lead a proxy of the LeT — The Resistance Front (TRF) — in Kashmir in 2019 to give it a facade of an indigenous terror movement of Jammu and Kashmir. The creation of TRF was a strategy of the ISI in the aftermath of the Pulwama incident in February 2019, when Pakistan had come to the adverse notice of the world for sponsoring and harbouring terror outfits like LeT and JeM. His brother, an ex-doctor in Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital, Srinagar, was also a terrorist in the 1990s who had migrated to Saudi Arabia and later to Pakistan, where he is now involved in terror funding with fugitives in Gulf countries. (With PTI Inputs)
