Bombing in Syria: Diplomat to be impeached for not voting against atrocities

Asif says US led war was adopted after 9/11 in view of ruler’s own interests

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will impeach its representative in the UN Human Rights Committee for not casting vote against killing of civilians and severe violation of human rights in Syria.

“The Pakistani envoy did not cast vote against atrocities on Syrian people and it is a matter of shame. I will let the house know on Monday why Pakistan did not vote on the resolution. ” Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said on Friday while speaking on the floor of the National Assembly.

Asif was responding to the questions raised by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman, who told the house that eight Muslim countries are member of the UN committee but three of them, including Pakistan, abstained from voting which was conducted against massacre in Syria.

Fazl asked why Pakistan remained absent during voting and who was representing the country there. “The parliament wants to conduct impeachment of the envoy responsible for it. The foreign minister must take notice of it,” he said.

He said when Saudi Arabia had requested for deployment of the Pakistani Army on its soil a section in the country raise a hue and cry over it but the same people were silent over the Syria killings.

“Now the entire Pakistani nation should protest against the cruelties in Syria and a resolution must also be passed by the house in this context. Syrian people are calling for support of the Pakistan Army in the prevailing crisis in the country,” he added.



Dr Shireen Mazari of the Pakistan Tehreeke-e-Insaf (PTI) also supported the idea of passing a resolution with regard to the ongoing crisis in Syria. However, she was of the view that it was only Muslims who were committing atrocities against the Muslims in Syria.

“One Muslim is supporting the government and other is supporting the rebels. Moreover, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran and other countries have their own stances over the issue,” she added.

The Muttahida Quami Movement’s (MQM) Shaikh Salahuddin also supported the idea of a resolution but when the floor was given to Daniyal Aziz, a member of opposition pointed out the quorum which was found breached on headcount.  The chair adjourned the session till Monday at 5pm and the resolution on Syria could not be put for voting.

Earlier, responding to a call attention notice the Foreign Minister Asif said $130 billion worth drug is smuggled out of Afghanistan for which Pakistan is used as the main conduit. “These drugs are smuggled through various means including sea routes and airports,” he added.

He admitted that law enforcers including the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and customs are absolutely not doing their job.



He said the production of heroin in Afghanistan had swelled from 200 tonnes in 2001 to 9,000 tonnes despite the presence of the US over there. Asif said Da’ish had also moved to Afghanistan from Iraq, asking as to who could be behind this move.

“If Pakistan made a mistake' after 9/11 by adopting the US led war, it was mistake made to secure the rulers’ own interests rather than the interests of the country,” the minister said in an oblique reference to the former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf.

Asif said Pakistan is not ready to a become proxy and it will defend its own interests. He said peace in Afghanistan is the desire of Pakistan.

Mahmood Khan Achakzai on a call attention notice said that due to negligence and inefficiency of Pakistan Embassy in Saudi Arabia thousands of Pakistanis are languishing in prisons.

Achakzai said in 2014-15, 25 Pakistanis were beheaded in Saudi Arabis while 2,800 Pakistanis are languishing in its prisons on the charges of smuggling drugs.

Asif said the foreign office is aware of the issue and smuggling of drugs from Pakistan is not possible without connivance of officials of the customs, the ANF and the FIA.

He said there are 2.6 million to 2.7 million Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia and the community welfare officers’ strength in the kingdom is not enough to match the issues of the Pakistanis over there.

Responding to a question in question hour, Minister for Safron Abdul Qadir Baloch told the house that 400,000 Afghan refugees will be deported to Afghanistan who are not registered anywhere.

“There are 2.4 million documented Afghan refugees in Pakistan. The president of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani has recently announced to manage return of Afghan refugees in Pakistan in two years,” he added.