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In a statement released on Pakistan's 78th Independence Day, Shafi Burfat, Chairman of Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), has called for the recognition of August 14 as a day of enslavement rather than celebration in Pakistan.
Burfat argues that the creation of Pakistan was not driven by the notion of a unified Muslim nation but was instead a deliberate strategy by British colonial powers to divide India by exploiting religious differences. Burfat contends that the so-called "two-nation theory," which served as the ideological foundation for Pakistan, was a fabrication designed to enslave historical nations, particularly Sindh and Balochistan, under the military dominance of what he describes as the "landlocked Punjabi nation." He claims that Sindh's vast resources, which contribute significantly to Pakistan's budget, have been systematically exploited, leaving the Sindhi people in poverty and misery despite their land's wealth. The statement criticises the Pakistani state's exploitation of Sindh's resources, including minerals, rivers, lands, and maritime assets, all of which have been used to benefit Punjab at the expense of the Sindhi population. Burfat accuses the federal government, the military, and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of perpetuating this exploitation, with Sindh's contributions being funnelled to Punjab under various pretexts. Burfat also highlighted the cultural and linguistic oppression faced by the Sindhi people, arguing that Sindh's history, language, culture, and Sufi traditions have been distorted by what he describes as Pakistani fundamentalism. He calls for the youth of Sindh, regardless of their linguistic background, to unite in the struggle for the freedom of Sindhudesh from what he terms "Punjabi imperialism, occupation, and fascism." In his statement, Burfat also calls on Punjabi intellectuals, writers, political leaders, and journalists to acknowledge the historical realities and inform future generations that the two-nation theory was not a divine command but a political strategy that has led to the suffering of millions, including the genocide of three million Bengali Muslims in 1971. Shafi Burfat concludes by asserting that the true meaning of Pakistan today is synonymous with Punjabi imperialism, and he calls for the natural right of Sindhudesh and other oppressed nations to gain their freedom from what he describes as an "unnatural and forcibly annexed state." (ANI)
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