Update: Briefing Human Rights Situation in the Province of Sindh

The briefing will include the following speakers:

Hon. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, Hon. Congressman Brad Sherman, Hon. Congressman Adam Schiff, Mr. Hasan Mujtaba, Mr. T. Kumar and Mr. Munawar Laghari (Sufi).

Hon. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez:

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez is proud to represent California’s 46th Congressional District.

As the second highest ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), Rep. Sanchez is a recognized leader on military and national security issues. She currently serves as the Ranking Member of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee, where she works to prepare our Armed Forces for a new generation of security challenges. Rep. Sanchez is also a member of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, making sure our nation is appropriately prepared for any missile or nuclear attacks.

Hon. Congressman Brad Sherman:

Congressman Brad Sherman, born and raised in southern California, represents California’s San Fernando Valley, and has been in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1997. Congressman Sherman is serving his tenth term in Congress, and currently resides in Sherman Oaks, CA.

Congressman Sherman is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He serves as the ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee on Asia, and serves as the Chairman Emeritus on the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade. He is also a senior member of the Financial Services Committee.

Hon. Congressman Adam Schiff:

Congressman Adam Schiff represents California’s 28th Congressional District.

In his 8th term in the House of Representatives, Schiff currently serves as the Ranking Member, or top Democrat, of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and as a Member of the Benghazi Select Committee. The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence oversees the nation’s intelligence agencies including components of the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, State and Energy. Schiff is currently on a leave of absence from the House Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Hasan Mujtaba:

Mr. Mujtaba is an award winning journalist, poet, lyricist, writer. blogger, columnist and human rights defender. A recipient of Excellence in International Journalism Award from SAIS of Johns Hopkins University, and Hellman Hammet award from Human Rights Watch.

Mr. T. Kumar:

Mr. Kumar is the International Advocacy Director for Amnesty International USA. He has served as a human rights monitor around the world and served as director of refugee ships and refugee camps. Mr. Kumar was a political prisoner for over five years in his native Sri Lanka. Amnesty International adopted him as a Prisoner of Conscience and initiated a worldwide campaign to secure his release. He started his legal studies in prison and eventually became an Attorney-at-Law and devoted his entire practice to defend political prisoners and advance human rights.

Mr. Munawar Laghari (Sufi):

Mr. Laghari is the Executive Director of Sindhi Foundation working to raise public awareness on the issues surrounding the Sindh province and the Sindhi people. Sufi has testified before the United Nations Human Rights Council (2006) and (2007) Geneva, Switzerland, World Summit in Durban, South Africa (2001), Washington National press Club by Amnesty International (2001) and Congressional Human Rights Caucus (1999) Washington, D.C.

Human Rights Situation in the Province of Sindh:

Currently, there is an ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Sindh province of Pakistan.  The province has emerged as a terrorist safe haven for Islamic extremist seminaries.  The Sindhi people are a minority in the country of Pakistan refusing to support religious extremism and terrorism which has led to the targeting of the people of the Sindh province.

Sindhis are subjected to forced religious conversion, torture, abduction, and death. The extremist seminaries are located along both banks of the river Indus and highway connecting Peshawar and Afghanistan. The community of Sindhis are continually being persecuted and stripped of their rights and freedom.

It is pertinent to recognize and address the expanding territory of these extremist seminaries and the ongoing human rights violations occurring against the people of Sindh.  Please join us for a briefing on the human rights situation in the province of Sindh.

If you have any questions, please contact Annie Yea with Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (Annie.Yea@mail.house.gov).

When: Date: October 1, 2015

              Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

 

Where: Cannon HOB 121

              New Jersey and Independence Ave SE,

              Washington, DC 20515

               (map)