'Pakistan needs to find its feet when it comes to foreign policy'

Senate chairperson speaks on national interest, violation of human rights in Myanmar

HYDERABAD: Senate Chairperson Mian Raza Rabbani has said Pakistan will have to find its feet when it comes to the country's foreign policy, which should primarily be oriented to national and security interests.

"Pakistan should come out of its apologetic foreign policy and, like other sovereign countries, should devise its own foreign policy which strictly adheres to national and security interests," he insisted while talking to the media on Saturday in Jamshoro where he also spoke at a seminar, 'Rohingya Issue and Pakistan's Policy' in Sindh University.

"We shouldn't pursue a policy on directions of someone else [other countries] or compromise on our national interests," Rabbani said. He praised the country's Parliament and Senate for taking an unequivocal stance to condemn the United States (US) President Donald Trump's censure of Pakistan. He added that the Parliament's stance against Switzerland for allowing some groups to campaign the partition of Pakistan is also appreciable.



The Senate chairperson declared former president Gen (rtd) Pervez Musharraf as the murderer of Pakistan Peoples Party's chairperson and former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto. "We aren't saying this today, but Shaheed Benazir Bhutto herself wrote about it in her letter."

However, responding to a question, he regretted that the Parliament still remained a weak institution even though, under the Constitution, it should be the strongest of all the institutions.

"I have said again and again that all institutions should work within constitutional limits. It's good for the institutions and system as both will become stronger," he said.



Rabbani blamed Musharraf for not only killing Benazir, but also the country's constitution. He mocked the former military chief for being craven as he is avoiding facing his trial under Article 6 of the

Constitution in the Bhutto murder case while the other politicians have been facing the courts. "He is living in Dubai and London and indulging in profligacy."

Seminar at Sindh University

Rabbani bewailed that the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) remained dysfunctional and ineffective in dealing with the issues affecting the Muslims. Juxtaposing OIC's response to the issues to that of Pakistan's, he stressed that the country always responded promptly and vociferously.



"But whenever Pakistan gets entangled in a tight political spot or when the Afghan war's repercussions are brought to bear upon her or when the US president accused Pakistan to be a breeding ground of terrorism, no Islamic country raised their voice," he deplored.

He said the Asian region has been made vulnerable to the fresh wave of terrorism, linking these developments with the growth of China.

"There are elements which are scared of the success of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and [they] could go to any extreme to scuttle it."

He declared a clash of interest between the US and eastern world as the cause of ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

Giving references from history, Rabbani held the military regimes responsible for provoking linguistic, ethnic and cultural conflicts, sectarianism, social divide and other socio-political crises.



"The western world, which claims to be championing and spearheading human rights acts, sits as a silent spectator when Muslim communities and countries are subjected to tyranny, atrocities and other excesses," he bemoaned.

"Kashmir has been bleeding for decades. Palestine has been victim to the worst possible brutalities by the Zionist forces. And now, Myanmar is witnessing a violation of human rights."

The Senate chairperson went on to blame the western world, especially the US, for prioritising their political and economic interests over humanitarian considerations. He described the recent dispute between Qatar and other Gulf states as well as the earlier Arab springs as a part of the greater US game orchestrated to gain a monopoly over oil and boost arms sales.

Former foreign secretary, Najmuddin A Shaikh, said the recurrent massacre of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar has continued for a long time, resulting in the community's displacement from Myanmar. Sharing figures of the displaced Rohingya Muslims, he said that 400,000 Rohingyas are living in Pakistan, 860,000 in Bangladesh, 200,000 in Saudi Arabia, 10,000 in the United Arab Emirates, 40,000 in India, 5,000 in Thailand and 10,000 in Indonesia.



"Some 4,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed in Myanmar in the ongoing spate of violence, but the conscience of the world community has yet to be awoken."

Pakistan Peoples Part Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said it is difficult for the provincial government to recognise Rohingya settlements in Karachi due to their illegal immigrant status.

"However, genocide in any form and at any place in the world is condemnable," he said.