‘Stop ethnic cleansing’: IHC refers to foreign ministry a petition on Rohingas

Asks the government to take decision on the petition within ten days

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has referred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs a petition, calling on the government to take action against ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

The IHC judge Justice Aamer Farooq on Friday converted a writ petition, filed by Advocate Tariq Asad, into a representation and sent it to the ministry with direction to decide the matter within 10 days.

In the petition, Advocate Asad sought the court’s directions for the government to raise voice at all civil and military platforms to stop genocide of the Myanmar’s Muslim minority.



He also called for breaking diplomatic relations with Burma and withdrawing of the Award of Democracy given by Pakistan government to Myanmar’s de facto leader and Nobel Laureate Aung Sang Suu Kyi.

The petitioner approached the high court saying the international community, including Pope Francis, has raised voice against the genocide of the Muslims in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, but ‘unfortunately’ Pakistan government is silent and has not taken any step to help the poor Rohingya victims.

He nominated as respondents the prime minister through his principal secretary and the federation through the secretary Ministry of Interior and the secretary Ministry of Defence.

In the petition, Asad said: “Muslims residing in any state or part of the world are brothers and they are like the parts of a body,” adding: “if any part of the body is hurt the whole body feels its pain.”

He cited Pope Francis, who issued a strong defence of the right of Rohingyas to ‘live their faith’, and criticised the Myanmar government for an alleged campaign of persecution.



“The Pope said Rohingyas have been tortured and killed simply because they want to live their culture and their Muslim faith. Pope Francis’ comments should serve as a wakeup call to the international community generally and the Muslim countries – including Pakistan – particularly,” he said.

According to the UN’s refugee agency, an estimated 73,000 people have crossed the border into Bangladesh since violence flared on 25 August, 2017, leaving refugee camps overcrowded. Asad said that observers believe the number of displaced people was likely to increase.

The petition said over around 1.2 million Rohingyas have faced years of mistreatment at the hands of the government, which does not recognise them as its citizens.  They are facing widespread discrimination from Buddhist majority population and are often referred to as Bengalis, alluding to a common myth that they are illegal immigrants.

According to Human Rights Watch, the Burmese government has denied citizenship to any Rohingya persons who cannot prove that their ancestors settled in the country before 1823, the beginning of British occupation of what is now Rakhine State – previously known as Arakan.

Asad said the Rohingyas are denied access to university education and in 2013 they were also slapped with a two-child policy, adding that the UN had dubbed them “the most oppressed people on Earth”.