Speaking to Chinese journalists on Thursday, Pakistani Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan said Pakistan supports China’s version of the narrative on the treatment of the minority Uighur Muslim community in the country, which is in stark contrast to the version portrayed by Western actors and media. Khan’s statement came as the Communist Party of China (CPC) marked its centenary.
A report by the Indian Express mentioned Khan saying: “Because of our extreme proximity and relationship with China, we accept the Chinese version.” In addition, he appreciated China’s support on any domestic and international challenges faced by Pakistan, adding, “Our relationship is a bilateral relationship. It is extremely strong.” Moreover, Khan also celebrated the close economic relations with Beijing and said that he looks forward to the commencement of the next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Khan highlighted the hypocrisy of Western media in turning a blind eye to the human rights violations in the rest of the world. He also appreciated the CPC’s role in introducing an “alternative model” to Western democracies.
Beijing has been accused of numerous crimes against ethnic and religious minorities in the north-western region of Xinjiang, including setting up a mass detention and surveillance system and subjecting Muslims to forced labour, birth control, sterilisation, marriages, and torture. The international community has decried China’s actions in Xinjiang as genocide, with the United States (US) imposing sanctions against senior Chinese officials for their involvement in human rights abuses.
The international criticism on the issue saw a renewed push in February, following the release of a BBC report alleging that Uighur women have been “systematically raped, sexually abused, and tortured” in the supposed “re-education camps.” Several former detainees and a guard gave the BBC rare first-hand accounts of what goes on inside the internment camps, reporting that “they experienced or saw evidence of an organised system of mass rape, sexual abuse, and torture.”
However, Beijing has consistently dismissed the criticism, maintaining that the facilities in Xinjiang are job training centres aimed at countering religious extremism and terrorism. In addition, it justified their need as a necessary measure against separatist violence in Xinjiang. In a setback to the cause of the Muslim minorities in China, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in December declined to open an investigation into China’s forced detention, stating that prosecution was not possible for the time being because the country is not a signatory to the Rome Statute.
Against this backdrop, Imran Khan, who often champions himself as the frontrunner in the fight against Islamophobia, has been criticised for turning a blind eye to the issue. On Sunday, in an interview with Axios, Khan was asked about his silence on China’s alleged human rights violations against the Uighur Muslim community despite his ongoing campaign to combat rising Islamophobia in Western countries. In response, he said that Pakistan’s engagement with China remains “behind closed doors,” adding, “China has been one of the greatest friends to us in our most difficult times. When we were struggling, our economy was struggling, China came to our rescue.”
Pakistani PM Khan Supports China’s Account of Treatment of Uighurs
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said in light of Pakistan’s friendship with China, he accepts the “Chinese version” of the treatment of Uighur Muslims.
July 2, 2021
SOURCE: THE INDIAN EXPRESS