Pakistan Endorses Human Rights Violation Of Uyghur Muslims By China
Imran Khan is the self-proclaimed champion of the Islamic causes, but this Pakistani politician has no option but to publicly support China’s policies, even oppression of fellow Muslims.
Imran fully supports China’s suppression of Uyghur Muslims in Xinxiang because of the Chinese web of Belt and Road Initiative and with growing dependence on China for economic aid. Pakistan is Badly dependent on Chinese loans and investments to shore up its sagging economy. Thus Pakistan endorsed all the acts of human rights violation by China, said a media report.
Earlier, in an interview with CNN during the Winter Olympics, Imran Khan, turned a blind eye to the suppression of Muslims of the Uyghur community in China and said the situation in the Uyghur Autonomous Region was not what the Western media portrayed.
Following a meeting between Imran Khan and President of China Xi Jinping in Beijing, a joint declaration said, “The Pakistan side expressed its ‘commitment to One – China Policy’ and support for China on Taiwan, South China Sea, Hong Kong, Xinxiang and Tibet.”
Pakistan endorsed all the acts of human rights violation by China even as 243 global groups called for action against China over human rights violations on the eve of the Winter Olympics.
While talking to a group of visiting Chinese journalists in Islamabad, however, Imran Khan revealed the real reason behind his endorsement of the oppression by China of fellow Muslims in Xinxiang. The Chinese version was completely different from what was appearing in the western media he acknowledged.
“Because of our extreme proximity and relationship with China, we actually accept the Chinese version,” he said, as quoted in Dawn newspaper.
Khan in his visit to Beijing for the Winter Olympics committed to the Chinese to strengthen the flagship BRI project in China, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is facing several problems in Pakistan. Common people in Pakistan are unhappy with CPEC for issues like forcible land acquisition, inadequate compensation and the overbearing presence of the military in public life.
Khan during his visit to Beijing also signed an agreement with China to begin the second phase of the CPEC; and in the bargain endorsed China’s oppression of fellow Uyghur Muslims. Though Imran Khan before coming to power was a critic of CPEC because of the secrecy surrounding it and unequal priorities in investment, leaving some provinces of Pakistan neglected.
Imran Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, when in opposition, had demanded complete transparency in CPEC investments.
Dawn, too, in an editorial had demanded greater transparency in Chinese financing of CPEC projects. A substantial chunk of Chinese development financing under the CPEC consisted not of grants but loans at or near commercial rates.
About half of this so-called development finance was in the form of export buyers’ credit, money lent by Chinese institutions to Pakistan for purchase of equipment and goods to be bought by Chinese companies partnering in the implementation of projects.
