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The World Sindhi Congress (WSC) organised a peaceful protest outside the Pakistan Consulate in Manchester, demanding the immediate recovery of Priya Kumari and all missing children in Sindh while condemning the registration of anti-terrorism cases against human rights defenders and campaigners advocating for their return.
The demonstration brought together members of the Sindhi and Pashtun communities, civil society representatives, human rights activists and supporters from across the United Kingdom. Protesters expressed solidarity with families of missing children and called for justice, accountability and the protection of fundamental human rights. According to a press release issued by the World Sindhi Congress, speakers alleged that Priya Kumari's disappearance reflects a wider pattern of child abductions, enforced disappearances, human trafficking and the forced conversion and marriage of underage girls in Sindh. They said these incidents have caused deep distress among affected families and created insecurity within vulnerable communities. Representing the World Sindhi Congress, Hidayat Bhutto, Hafeezan Wadhio, Rauf Leghari and Ali Memon stated that the campaign for Priya Kumari has grown into an international human rights movement. They reaffirmed support for the Priya Kumari Action Committee and pledged to continue raising the issue globally until all missing children are safely reunited with their families. The speakers also criticised the filing of anti-terrorism cases against members of the Priya Kumari Action Committee, human rights defenders and parents of missing children, describing the action as an attempt to suppress peaceful advocacy. They called on Pakistan's government to recover all missing children, conduct transparent investigations, hold those responsible for child abductions and trafficking accountable, withdraw what they termed fabricated FIRs, and protect the constitutional rights of citizens to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. Representatives of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) and other community leaders also addressed the gathering, expressing solidarity with the people of Sindh. The protest concluded with participants urging the United Nations, international human rights organisations and democratic governments to closely monitor the situation and support efforts aimed at ensuring justice, accountability and the protection of children's rights. (ANI)
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