73 years have gone but Pakistan still struggling for independence: Pak journalist

Pakistani journalist Marvi Sirmed has said that even after 73 years, Pakistan is struggling for independence as people from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan and other regions are yet to attain freedom.

“Marking 73 yrs of existence, Pak still struggling for independence. People in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pak admnstd Kashmir, nth military farms, Media, parliament, activists, 1000s of missing persons, #Julie…none is free. Happy birthday Pakistan!” she said.

While Pakistan continues to share a troubled relationship with its minorities like Shias, Ahmadis, Hindus, Sikhs and Christians, Prime Minister Imran Khan during his address to the nation on Independence Day once again raised the Kashmir issue. And on the same day, an elderly man from the Ahmadi minority community was shot dead by assailants in Peshawar.

Over the years the minority communities in Pakistan like Baloch, Pashtuns, Mohajirs, Kashmiris, Baltis, Christians and Hindus have been facing persecution at the hands of both the government and the army.

Earlier, the Voice for Sindhi Missing Persons and other human rights organizations organized a protest rally to express solidarity with the families of missing persons in Sindh and shouted slogans like “Yeh jo dehshat gardi hai, iske piche vardi hai (The people in uniform are behind these terrorist activities)”.

The Pakistan Police used force to stop the protesters, including family members of the missing persons and human rights activists, outside the Karachi Press Club.