Uyghur Muslims: Imran defends China, junks ‘western media’, diverts to Kashmir
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Amid several countries holding Beijing responsible for the continued suppression of human rights in Xinjiang, Pakistan has become the first Muslim nation to defend China’s alleged persecution of Uyghur Muslims, with its Prime Minister Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi claiming that the situation in the restive Eastern Turkestan or Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) is unlike ‘what western media’ portrays.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Moinul Haq recently visited XUAR and found the situation there is “not what the western media portrays”, he said as he defended Beijing, the media reported on Monday.
He also tried to cover up China’s alleged human rights violations by diverting the attention from Xinjiang to Kashmir.
Islamabad’s support to Beijing over the Uyghur Muslims, who make up a majority of the population in Xinjiang, is rooted in an increasing Pakistani dependence on China for economic aid and diplomatic support at a time the South Asian country is facing bankruptcy, domestic political turmoil, and international isolation over a host of issues.
Not only on Xinjiang, Imran Khan, who recently visited Beijing, also supported China’s expansionist policies in the South China Sea and “One-China Principle” during the inaugural ceremony of the ongoing Winter Olympics 2022 in Beijing (February 4-20).
Predictably, China was happy at this open Pakistani support, which became part of its propaganda.
“The Pakistan side expressed its “commitment to One-China Policy and support for China on Taiwan, South China Sea, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet,” a joint statement released after Imran Khan’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, said.
“The Chinese side reaffirmed its support for Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence, and security, as well as promoting its socio-economic development and prosperity,” it added.
Ironically, Islamabad’s support of Beijing came soon after 243 global groups called for action against China over human rights abuses in the country.
Asked about China’s ill-treatment of the Uyghur Muslims, he maintained they cannot compare it with India committing ‘genocide’ of innocent Muslims in Kashmir.
“Kashmir is a disputed territory between Pakistan and India while Xinjiang is an autonomous province of China”, he claimed.
Recycling his old statements, he warned of a ‘looming war’ between the two nuclear-powered nations, India and Pakistan. “Until the Kashmir issue is resolved, the fear of war between the two nuclear powers will remain.”
He flagged the alleged violations of minorities’ rights in India but ignored the mistreatment, marginalization, and persecution of minorities in Pakistan, including Christians, Hindus, Ahmeddiyas, Shias, and others.
Recently, the European Union had remarked that Pakistan had failed to make meaningful advances in protecting human rights, particularly in relation to the country’s controversial blasphemy laws, and targeting minorities.
