Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan found himself in the centre of yet another controversy after he said that the Afghan people were “breaking the shackles of slavery” as the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, distancing himself from the concerns espoused by the rest of the international community.
Khan made the remarks during the launch of the Single National Curriculum, which is a part of his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s election manifesto. Through this, he aims to achieve a uniform curriculum for students from Grade 1 to 5.
Condemning the prevalence of English medium schools and the spread of Western culture in Afghanistan, Khan said, “You take over the other culture and become psychologically subservient. When that happens, please remember, it is worse than actual slavery. It is harder to throw off the chains of cultural enslavement. What is happening in Afghanistan now? They have broken the shackles of slavery.”
He noted that the parallel education system in Afghanistan has resulted in the adoption of “someone else’s culture,” and therefore, mental slavery. Khan said that Pakistan would work towards avoiding a similar fate through the Single National Curriculum. He added that a similar plan for students from Grade 1 to 12 would also be announced in the coming years.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani Security Committee convened a meeting on Monday to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. It saw the participation of several political and military leaders, including Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Qureshi said Pakistan would present its stance on the current situation after consultations in the meeting.
The leaders and citizens of Afghanistan have accused Pakistan of supporting the Taliban violence since the departure of the United States (US) and NATO forces. Earlier, Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar criticised Pakistan for providing a haven to groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, and Al-Qaeda, all of which have colluded with the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Afghan representatives also reiterated their belief about Pakistan’s involvement in the violence in the country during a United Nations Security Council meeting earlier this month.
Furthermore, as violence spread through Afghanistan over the past few weeks, several citizens and journalists took to Twitter to call for sanctions on Pakistan over its alleged support of the Taliban-led violence. As a result, #SanctionPakistan, criticising the Pakistani government for fighting a “proxy war” in Afghanistan, trended on Twitter.
The Pakistani government has denied its role in the violence and repeatedly claimed it supports an “Afghan-led and Afghan-owned” peace process. However, Khan’s latest comments have raised questions about Pakistan’s stand on the issue as thousands of Afghans flee the country over concerns regarding threats to their rights and freedom.
Afghans Have Broken “Shackles of Slavery”: Pakistan PM Imran Khan
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan criticised the prevalence of Western culture in Afghanistan, saying it resulted in mental slavery.
August 17, 2021
SOURCE: REUTERS