KARACHI: Sindhi nationalist parties strongly oppose the idea to constitute the EU like “Asian Union”, which will be a replica of the European Union, with single currency for all nine SAARC countries, free of borders and independent tribunals where people from these countries can appeal against human rights violations in their countries.

Nationalists have said that such a move will convert the people of oppressed nations, especially the Sindhis and the Balochis, to minorities.

“Europe is more advanced, since the citizens of all nations included in the European Union were already given their due rights and they do not need to move to another country but when we look at South Asian countries, each of these countries faces an increasing number of refugees and if such plan is forced on Sindh, which is already suffering from a large load of millions of illegal immigrants and refugees, will suffer more,” said Jeay Sindh Mahaz President Abdul Khaliq Junejo.

Addressing a meeting of the Pakistan Institute of Labour education and research (PILER), arranged to discuss the issue of next People’s SAARC, Junejo said that currently, 3 million refugees from Afghanistan alone are living in Sindh and if the borders are opened, the number of refugees will multiply. “I will attend the People’s SAARC to raise Sindh’s concerns,” said Junejo.

People’s SAARC, an independent organization comprising citizens of the nine SAARC countries, was made in 2007 during the SAARC conference in Nepal as a parallel organization to the conference of the SAARC countries’ heads to issue the demands of the people of SAARC countries and make recommendations to the SAARC heads on different issues. People’s SAARC issued a list to the civil society organizations of all SAARC countries, comprising the issues to be discussed during the forthcoming SAARC heads’ conference scheduled in late July 2008 in Colombo and the People’s SAARC plans to gather in Colombo from July 18 to July 20 to share what the citizens of SAARC want to see in South Asia in the future. PILER organized a meeting of the representatives of civil society, nationalists and intellectuals to discuss the points on the list issued by People’s SAARC.

“People’s SAARC was made to guide the SAARC heads on what the common people want, as despite agreements made on different issues on different occasions, the SAARC countries have yet not adopted what they agreed to, such as an agreement made 10 years ago to open borders for each other. Instead they tightened visa policies,” said PILER’s Karamat Ali.

In the past, Bangladesh’s visa policies, for example, were simple but after the agreement, these policies got confusing.

The violation of labour, minorities and women’s rights are on the rise in SAARC countries and in such conditions, the citizens decided to propose their recommendations through People’s SAARC, Ali noted, adding that 60 percent of the South Asian population lives under the poverty line while these countries are on the top of the list of weapons buyers. “Though it is not decided, SAARC countries are considering creating a South Asian Union so that the people from different SAARC countries can move easily to other countries, which will be using the same currency,” Ali said. “We agree that borders should be opened, but we oppose migration from one country to another for political reasons through these opened borders, as has happened with Sindh and Balochistan,” said Comrade Ramzan Memon of Bhandar Hari Sangat.

Zulfiqar Halepota said that SAARC countries also need some of the common syllabuses to settle down mutual conflicts.

Sindh Water Committee President Abrar Qazi said People’s SAARC must include the water issue as different South Asian countries have serious water issues over international rivers and rivers within countries. “There are specific international conventions to resolve water issues but different countries violate these conventions, so important issues like those of water and illegal immigrations must be placed on top priority at People’s SAARC,” Qazi said.

A representative of the minority communities said that some South Asian countries neglecting minority rights and in many places, minorities are not allowed to perform their religious customs, thus making it necessary that People’s SAARC include minority issues in the draft.

Zulfiqar Shah of PILER said that People’s SAARC must pay rich tribute to the recent revolution in Nepal and lawyers’ movement in Pakistan. (Daily Times)

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