Sections 15 and 23 of Pakistan’s Constitution allow Pakistan’s citizens to make free movement within the country.
KARACHI: This is in response to Naushaba Abid’s letter “IDPs & Sindh” published on July 19. In her letter, she somewhat supported the Sindhi nationalist parties’ view against allowing IDPs to enter Sindh. I would like to inform the writer that Sections 15 and 23 of Pakistan’s Constitution allow Pakistan’s citizens to make free movement within the country as their basic right and no party has the authority to go against their basic rights. Also, if any party does so, it is not only preventing citizens from exercising their fundamental rights, but also violating the Constitution of Pakistan. Secondly, the IDPs’ movement is being heavily monitored to make sure that no militants are disguising themselves as migrants entering into any other province. Furthermore, such parties should understand that all our provincial governments are strong enough to fight with petty threats such as these. Denying entry to migrants of your own country based on these alibis is just inhumane.
These people whom were are calling IDPs have given up everything to bring peace and harmony to this country and now, when the time has come to admire and aid them, everyone has started backing off from their responsibility.
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government and the PML-N government are striving hard to bring about improved conditions for these unfortunate people. But we must remember that this is not just the job of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government or the PML-N government, but is our collective responsibility.
Mohammad H Siddiqi
Published in The Express Tribune, July 22nd, 2014.
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