MPAs call on Muslim world to fight against genocide

Say UN, Islamic countries should play their role to stop the killing of innocent people

LAHORE: The opposition and treasury benches in the Punjab Assembly are on the same page over the massacre of Muslims in Myanmar and demanded concrete steps to stop the killing of innocent people.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) legislators Mian Mehmoodur Rashid, Shoaib Siddiqi and Nabila Hakim Ali Khan as well as Hina Pervez  Butt of the Pakistan Muslim League-N submitted three resolutions in the Punjab Assembly.



In his resolution, Rasheed demanded that the Nobel peace prize, awarded to Aung San Suu Kyi, who is the leader of the National League for Democracy, should be taken back. He also demanded that the United Nations should play its role in stopping genocide in Myanmar. “It is a condemnable act that Aung San Suu Kyi along with the military force, is killing innocent people.”

He contended in the resolution that Islamic countries were silent spectators and strongly condemned the barbarity in Myanmar. PTI’s Shoaib Siddiqi said the cruelty of the Myanmar Junta against Rohingya has broken all previous records of the history. Not even a single country, including Pakistan, is doing anything for the people being killed in Myanmar, he said, demanding the implementation of international sanctions on the country formerly known as Burma.

PTI’s legislator Nabila Hakim Ali Khan said space is shrinking for minorities in the world. She added that the houses of innocent Muslims were being set ablaze, but nothing was being done to protect their lives and properties. She demanded the federal government help Muslims in Myanmar and raise a voice on the international level.

PML-N legislator Hina Pervez Butt stated the bloodshed of innocent Muslims was actually a slap on the face of noble prize holder Aung San Suu Kyi. She added that more than 2,600 houses of Muslims have been set on fire and many people, who have been living in the country for decades, were forced to leave.

Meanwhile, Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan also condemned the massacre of innocent people in Myanmar.

CM urges joint strategy to stop genocide

Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif asked the international community, the Muslim world and the United Nations to wake up and take action against the atrocities being committed on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and pressure its government to act fast.

The chief minister said that persecution of the Muslims in Myanmar represented the most ruthless genocide of a minority community in the recent history.

He termed the crisis as a planned 'cleansing' of Muslims and wondered how the world’s conscience could continue to sleep while innocent men, women and children suffer the most horrific atrocities. He had called for renewed diplomatic efforts aimed at bringing the influence of international community and take urgent steps to protect Rohingya Muslims.

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Shehbaz said that the condition of Myanmar Muslims was also a test of international human right organisations and leaders to make sure that religion was not used to justify the massacre of people. “No religion allows violence and it is about time the civilised world should unite to protect the core values of humanity and interfaith harmony. Human rights are sacrosanct and we should rise up to safeguard them.”

According to the CM office, Shehbaz is likely to return in three days from London. During his stay, he will meet the local party leadership.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 6^th, 2017.