Pakistan Prime Minister to raise Rohingyas’ issue at UN: NA informed
By Aamir Saeed
August 11, 2015
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would raise the issue of Rohingya Muslims’ genocide in Myanmar at the United Nations during its upcoming General Assembly session.
Prime Minister’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said this Monday in the National Assembly while responding to a question asked by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf member Dr Shireen Mazari.
“The prime minister will mention the Rohingya Muslims’ issue in the General Assembly as they are not getting their citizen rights,” he informed the members.
He said the government has also offered $5 million dollar aid to the Rohingya Muslims on humanitarian grounds and was also in touch with members of Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) to resolve the issue.
“The impression that Pakistan is doing nothing for Rohingya Muslims is not correct,” he said, adding that Pakistan has taken more concrete steps to raise the issue than all other OIC countries.
Aziz said the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva has already passed a resolution on 3 July 2015, proposed by Pakistan, on behalf of the OIC.
Among others, the resolution called upon the Government of Myanmar to ensure co-operation to allow full access of humanitarian assistance to the affected persons and communities, and to implement various co-operation agreements made between the authorities of Myanmar and the international community for the distribution of humanitarian aid to all affected areas, including Rakhine State, without any discrimination, he said.
He said the OIC passed a resolution “The situation of the Muslim community in Myanmar,” during the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting on 27-28 May 2015 in Kuwait.
Among others, the resolution renewed the call to the Myanmar authorities to adopt an inclusive, transparent policy towards the Rohingya Muslims and to recognise them as ethnic minority.
Aziz informed the Lower House that during the OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting, every member urged the OIC to take measures for the rehabilitation of displaced Rohingya Muslims.
“Pakistan also proposed the creation of a special OIC Fund to provide food and other assistance to Rohingya Muslims,” he said.
To another question asked by the PTI member Murad Saeed, the advisor said that Kuwaiti authorities do not officially acknowledge imposition of any ban or restriction on issuance of the visas to Pakistanis.
However, in the backdrop of a number of Pakistanis arrested on drugs trafficking and deterioration in the general law and order situation, the issuance of visa is restricted since 2011, he said.
Aziz said the government is in touch with the Kuwaiti authorities, some relief has been provided to professionals, such as doctors and engineers who if employed, are now being given the visa. The two governments have been in touch on the issue to ease restrictions.
“Our embassy in Kuwait has taken up 250 acute visa cases of family visa with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait of families of our senior professionals who are reluctant to stay in Kuwait if their families are not accommodated for visa. Our embassy had scrutinised these cases, and convinced of their merit, is interceding with the Kuwaiti Authorities,” he said.
Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Muhammad Birjees Tahir informed the house while responding to a question that his ministry has sent a summary to the prime minister for increase of monthly stipend of Azad Jammu and Kashmir refugees living in camps.
He said the government has also allocated funds in the PSDP to reconstruct 277 schools in the AJK.
