By Sajjad
The
civilized Western World has always shown double standard of human rights in the
modern era of open diplomacy, economic development and maintenance of
fundamental rights of various peoples. But, it is regrettable that major powers
like the US and some European countries have continuously been acting upon duplicity
regarding human rights violations. In this regard, their silence over the
massacre of the Rohingya Muslim community at the hands of the Rakhine extremist
Buddhists in Burma (present Myanmar), perpetual bloodshed of Kashmiris in the
Indian occupied Kashmir and unending genocide of several Palestinians in Gaza
might be cited as example. In these cases, US-led Western World which was
overtly or covertly supporting the state terrorism of Myanmar’s military junta,
Indian and Israeli regimes was strongly condemned by the Islamic Word’s
intellectuals. In wake of Muslim tragedy, it was also exposed that world’s apex
body, the UNO has also been following double standard of human rights, and has
become instrument of America and its allies at the cost of the Muslim World.
Especially,
the US has been protecting its selfish interests including those of India and
Israel by using the UNO against the Islamic countries like Iran, and Pakistan
because the latter is also the lonely nuclear country in the Islamic World. Hence,
they want to destabilize Pakistan by supporting the militants’ outfits which
continues subversive attacks in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Karachi and
other parts of the country.
Besides,
foreign-backed NGOs and human rights groups leave no stone unturned in
distorting the image of Pakistan in relation to human rights violations. In
this context, while speaking in the tone of external elements—since the supreme
court has been taking notice of various cases, without grasping realities,
Pakistan’s internal entities have manipulated every issue and case like the
Memogate case, missing persons of Balochistan, law and order situation in
Karachi, military operation in North Waziristan, incident of Malala Yousafzai
etc., to tarnish country’s image.
Let
us take the example of the missing persons. Everyone knows that majority of the
disappeared persons have been killed in bomb blasts, target killings, ethnic
and sectarian violence in various places of Pakistan, arranged by the
foreign-assisted militant outfits, particularly TTP. In case of Balochistan,
Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other similar insurgent groups which have
been fighting for secession of the province gets logistic support from
anti-Pakistan secret agencies. These terrorists abducted and killed many
innocent people and the security personnel in the province, while claiming
responsibility. And since 2001, a majority of Pakistanis also left for Afghanistan
for Jehad purposes, while many people joined the Jahadi groups in Pakistan.
As
regards Pakistan’s internal entities, some persons are on the parole of foreign
secret agencies, while some have pro-American or western tilt, as they want to
get international fame by distorting the image of Pakistan. In other worlds, they malign their own county
by fulfilling the nefarious agenda of anti-Pakistan countries intentionally or
unintentionally.
In
this connection, in one way or the other, Asma Jahangir, the famous human
rights activist has always indicated her old stereotype-prejudices against
Pakistan and its security forces by following the blame game of US-led India
and some western countries in relation to any major issue or case of human
rights abuses. For the purpose, she had also manipulated the cases of missing
persons, especially those of Balochistan. In fact, Asma can create some hostile
justification for the sake of hostility by maligning Pak Army, superior
intelligence agency, ISI because in this way, she can not only get good media coverage
in abroad , but can also please her external masters.
Recent nomination of Asma Jahangir
as an expert to investigate human rights violations/abuses committed by the
government forces in Sri Lanka during the last phase of war against Liberation
of Tamil Elam (LTTE) may cause
psychological embarrassment and emotional exasperation for Pakistan, as Sri
Lanka is a friendly country. Asma is
known for her arrogance, self importance and bluntness as a lawyer, human
rights activist and high profile international investigator. She is the former
President of Pakistan Bar Council and has especially been selected by UN along
with two other eminent international experts. Her nomination is quite
controversial in Sri Lanka, as very few Sri Lankan politicians who wanted UN to
interfere in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs to topple the sitting government of
the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), supported her case. Sri Lankan
political leaders believe that this is the only way in toppling the government
and a way forward to regime change.
In her recent interview with BBC,
published by Sri Lankan print media, while warning the Sri Lankan government of
dire consequences, Asma Jahangir arrogantly asserted, if they tried to stop
people from contacting the UN investigating team—any attempt to prevent people
from testifying would be detrimental for the Sri Lankan Govt.
No doubt, such aggressive statements
by a Pakistani national certainly lead to creation of diplomatic irritants
between the two governments. Asma’s forewarning was not very well taken by Sri
Lankans, as most of them perceive that a Pakistani national in UN investigation
team will only come for their rescue.
People of Sri Lanka and the
government have made up their mind not to let any such investigation team enter
their country at any stage. Sri Lanka, being a friendly state does not—will not
expect a Pakistani national to oppose their rulers on an issue which has
already been supported by Islamabad during UN Human Rights Commission’s related
resolution. Furthermore, India has
recently supported Colombo’s stance and has opposed any international
investigation within Sri Lanka.
It
is notable that as regards Human Rights Commission of Pakistan led by Asma
Jehangir, in 2006, I had myself visited its head office, located in Lahore. I
met some writers of a particular newspaper, who had been working there. I came
to know that its members were being sent to various villages of Pakistan so as
to note various crimes which were also published in magazines and afterwards
these were sent to western countries, especially America with the sole aim to
show the progress of this Commission which is financially supported by the US.
No doubt, we must condemn these crimes in our society, but if we point out
these anti-social activities to please our foreign masters, and in order to
tarnish the image of our own country including its forces, such a practice
itself becomes a greater crime.
I
ask the former HRCP’s Chairperson Asma Jehangir as to why multiple crimes,
committed inside the United States are not being indicated by this Commission
with detail. From time to time, a number of students have been shot in various
American universities, but I did not read any statement of Asma Jehangir in
that respect. And why there is no detailed statement against American forces,
CIA and FBI which have so far tortured and killed a number of innocent Muslims
entailing Pakistanis at various detention centers under the pretext of war
against terrorism. She never spoke about atrocities, perpetrated by the
American troops in Abu Ghraib, other CIA torture-cells, and human rights
violations inside the US homeland where since 9/11; thousands of Muslims were
targeted, labeling them as suspected persons.
The
fact of the matter is that Asma Jehangir is waiting for Nobel Prize which is
mostly awarded to the western people and rarely to the Muslims. In this
context, Asma is also making strenuous efforts by getting this award by showing
to the US-led western countries that she is serving as human rights activists
at the cost of Pakistan. One cannot note difference between her hypocrisy and
the US-led Hindu-Jewish lobbies which are determined to disintegrate Pakistan. Nonetheless,
all this shows the real face of Asma Jehangir.
However, a Pakistani national, being
part of the UN investigation team, pitched against a friendly country should be
a matter of concern for every patriot Pakistani. Therefore, Pakistani
government should either get her name withdrawn from the investigation team or
clarify (on an international forum) that anything reported/presented or displayed
by Asma Jahangir will be an individual act, and will not reflect the policy of
Islamabad. In this regard, media must impress upon the policy makers to address
the issue, because it will have serious consequences for Pakistan–Sri Lanka
relations at every level.
The matter should be addressed as
soon as possible since the inquiry is already in process and the investigation
team is to present and submit its first report to UN in September 2014.
Particularly, Pakistan’s media must
project that Asma Jahangir is blunt, arrogantly confident, self projecting and
outspoken individual, having qualification and experience in practicing law.
Her rebuking statement against the Sri Lankan government through BBC interview
indicates the extent of her being self-centeredness and idiosyncratic character.
Islamabad holds Sri Lanka in high esteem as a trust worthy friend under all
seasons.
Government and people of Pakistan
get deeply hurt every time, they recall the deplorable episode of terrorist
attack against Sri Lankan Cricket Team in Lahore. Such a devilish attack was
planned by anti-Pakistan elements to damage cricket in Pakistan and to create
conditions to spoil diplomatic relations between Islamabad and Colombo.
Fortunately, relations between the two friendly countries are still flourishing,
while cricket is also being played between their national teams. Terrorists and
master minds of attack against Sri Lankan Cricket Team have surely been
frustrated and perturbed.
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