Shahbaz Sharif terms Rohingya persecution 'genocide', urges world to take action

Punjab CM made statement before leaving for London to meet ailing sister-in-law Kulsum Nawaz

LAHORE: The persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar represents the most ruthless genocide of a minority community in recent history, said Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday.

Before leaving for the United Kingdom to visit Begum Kulsum Nawaz, his ailing sister-in-law who recently underwent surgery, Shahbaz urged the international community, the Muslim world and United Nations to take notice of the atrocities being committed on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and pressurise its government to act fast.

According to an official statement issued on Tuesday, the Punjab CM termed the crisis a “planned cleansing of Muslims” and wondered how the world can turn a blind eye to the plight of the Rohingyas.



Nearly 90,000 Rohingyas have flooded into Bangladesh in the past 10 days following an uptick in fighting between militants and Myanmar’s military in strife-torn western Rakhine state.

Massacres, communal violence and the systematic torching of villages by security forces – as well as by militants – have further amplified tensions, raising fears that the situation is spinning out of control.

Shahbaz, in his statement, called for renewed diplomatic efforts to pressure the Myanmar government to take action to protect the minority Muslims.

He further said that the condition of the Rohingya Muslims is a test case for international human rights organisations as well as religious leaders who should make sure that a massacre is not justified in the name of religion.



“No religion of the world sanctions violence and it is about time that the whole civilised world got together to protect their core values of humanity and interfaith harmony,” he concluded.

According to the CM Office, Shahbaz is likely to return in three days.  During his stay in London he will also meet with local party leadership.

Former PM Nawaz Sharif, his sons as well as Shahbaz’s son, Hamza, are already in London. Only Maryam Nawaz is currently in Pakistan as she is running her mother’s campaign for NA-120 by-polls until Begum Kulsum's health improves.