A delegation of Mohajirs and representatives of Pashtun, Baloch and Hazara communities held a detailed meeting with US Congressman Rob Wittman here on Friday (local time) to brief him about the human rights violations and discrimination being faced by their communities in Pakistan.
The group was led by the Voice of Karachi and South Asia Minorities Alliance Foundation Chairman Nadeem Nusrat. He particularly pointed out the "devastating economic and social impact of the highly discriminatory quota system" in urban Sindh that has forced the majority urban population out of government jobs and admissions in public educational institutions since the 1970s.
"You could find people of Lahore and Rawalpindi and other cities in their local police. But you'd find it hard to find the citizens of Karachi, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas in their cities' local police and other law enforcement agencies," Nadeem Nusrat told the US lawmaker.
"Persistent and organized rigging in the census and electoral constituencies have left the urban population disenfranchised. The urban majority is ruled by a fake rural population that treats urban areas as its colonies," he added.
Nusrat highlighted the details of the blatant acts of human rights violations, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, physical torture and arbitrary arrests in urban Sindh with the US Congressman. He also shared with the US House Member details of Greater Karachi plans that the Voice of Karachi recently presented in its media briefing in the US capital.
Pashtun, Baloch and Hazara representatives also shared the details of human rights violations in their respective regions with Congressman Wittman. The participants also handed over documents describing details of brutalities by the security forces against various ethnic and religious groups in Pakistan.
The US lawmaker, who has served at many important Congressional committees, reaffirmed his support for victims of human rights abuses and assured the participants that he will continue to raise these issues in Congress as well as other relevant forums.
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