On Friday US Congressman Brad Sherman brought up the issue of kidnappings by criminals, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and imprisonment of women by authorities without due process in Pakistan, particularly in Sindh.

Sherman also highlighted the case of Priya Kumari, who he claimed vanished two years ago. He stated that this coming week, the US House Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee will discuss child trafficking.

In a post on X, Sherman stated, "In #Pakistan, kidnappings by criminals & enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings & imprisonment of women without due process by authorities continue unabated, particularly in #Sindh, as highlighted by protests this month."

In another post, the US Congressman stated, "It's been two years since then-seven-year-old Priya Kumari disappeared and on September 10 Afzal Lund was murdered. As the @HouseForeign's Human Rights Subcommittee is shining a light on child trafficking this week, let us reaffirm that these tactics will not go unanswered."

On August 30, a protest march was held to mark the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances and to draw attention to the rise in the number of such instances in Sindh and Balochistan.

Amar Azadi, Pireeh Sindhu, Sodho Sindhi, Shoban Lashari, Shan Sindhi, Mubasher, and Sajjad Burdi led the rally at the Jhaz Chowk Sehwan Press Club in support of the Jeay Sindh Freedom Moment (JSFM) appeal.

According to an official release, the JSFM leaders told the media that they might consider the issue of missing persons of the National Movement of Sindh and Balochistan as a violation of human rights.

The JSFM leaders demanded that Faqir Ijaz Gaho, Sohail Raza Bhatti, Allah Wadhayo Mahar, Naveed Mirani, Aqib Chandio, Naeem Malukani, Waheed Ghangharu, and other National Workers should be immediately rescued. They demanded that the National Workers be brought before the nation's courts if they were engaged in any matter.

In a joint statement, the leaders of the Jeay Sindh Freedom Movement (JSFM), including its chairman Sohail Abro, vice chairman Zubair Sindhi, and leaders Amar Azadi, Sodho Sindhi, Hafeez Deshi, and Pireeh Sindhu, said that forced disappearances are not only a grave violation of human rights but also an unmistakable sign of state terrorism.

"They kill political and national activists extrajudicially. This proves that the judicial system here has failed, so we have no hope for them," the release stated further.

In order to exert pressure on Pakistan's intelligence agencies, they asked the Human Rights, Amnesty International, the United Nations, and International Human Rights Watch to intervene.

"Notice should be taken of this violation of international norms so that the national workers who were forcibly abducted from Sindh can be released and reunited with their loved ones, otherwise, the scope of the protest will be widened," the release read further.

On August 30, Amnesty International urged the Pakistan authorities to end the practice of enforced disappearance and secret and arbitrary detentions.

Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office, took to social media platform X and stated, "Pakistan must end the practice of enforced disappearance and secret and arbitrary detentions. Authorities must immediately and unconditionally disclose the whereabouts of the forcibly disappeared, to their families."

Image source: ANI