ISLAMABAD – In response to the letter of Director Human Rights Watch, USAto the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Minster for Human Rights Dr. ShireenMazari said Pakistan was well aware of its obligations and was committed toensure and protect the human rights of its citizens in pursuance of theconstitution of Pakistan and international commitments; not by any externalpressure.
The Minster asserted in a reply to the HRW that “Since you mentioned thatyou monitor human rights violations in over 90 countries, I hope that youwould also raise your voice against a massive human rights violations,carried out in Indian Occupied Kashmir, Palestine and in some EuropeanStates against Muslims citizens.
Draft of the letter wrote to Asia Director, Human Rights Watch Brad Adamsis; “Reference your letter to our Prime Minister, let me make it clear thatthe Prime Minister and the government are committed to ensuring the humanrights guaranteed to all Pakistani citizens under the Constitution. In thiscontext, we are well aware of the need to effectively enforce the lawsregarding the enforcement of the human rights of all our citizens as wellas the need to bring our national laws in alignment with our internationallegal commitments through the international treaties we have ratified. Ourgovernment is committed to ensuring the fulfillment of all ourinternational legal obligations.
We will do all this because we believe in fulfilling our constitutionalobligations and we certainly do not need to be informed or reminded of ourhuman rights agenda. My Ministry is already moving forward with a holisticaction plan. We know the prevailing shortcomings in ensuring human rightsof all our citizens and are working towards overcoming them.
Since you claim you monitor human rights violations in over 90 countries, Ihope that would include the massive human rights violations being carriedout as a matter of state policy by India in Indian Occupied Kashmir and byIsrael in Palestine. I may have missed your monitoring reports on these sowould appreciate if you could refresh my memory.
Additionally, I hope your organization, HRW, will take up the issue of theviolation of Human Rights by some European states against their Muslimcitizens in the form of curtailing their right to practice their religionfreely and in the form of abuse of Islam and its Prophet (Peace Be UponHim), in direct contravention of the European Convention for the Protectionof Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Since HRW claims to monitor humanrights across the world, I would like to be informed on how you areensuring the rights of Muslim citizens to have their mosques and be able todress and practice their religion freely and without ridicule in Europeanstates.
We will always welcome positive suggestions and inputs which can helpfurther our government’s human rights agenda as we have many challengesconfronting us; but an NGO’s institutional credibility will rest on itscommitment to ensuring human rights across the globe not just in selectivestates.” – APP