US Congress members’ statement irks PAC

Chairman of body says no country has right to lecture Pakistan on human rights

ISLAMABAD:

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of parliament on Tuesday expressed its strong disapproval of the recent statement made by members of the US Congress regarding Pakistan.

Over 65 members of the US Congress had sent a letter to Secretary Antony Blinken, expressing concerns about the state of democracy and human rights in Pakistan.

Although the letter did not directly mention the government’s actions against the PTI, it urged Washington to employ “diplomatic tools” to encourage Pakistani authorities to uphold democratic principles, human rights, and the rule of law.

The PAC meeting was presided over by Noor Alam Khan.

The PAC chairman regarded the statement as an insult to Pakistan and the entire nation, emphasising the importance of respecting Pakistan’s sovereignty.

Noor sarcastically remarked that the US Congress members should stand with Pakistan on issues such as the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and Palestine, instead of obstructing matters like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and relations with Saudi Arabia.

He asserted that no country, including the US, had the right to lecture Pakistan on human rights.

The PAC chairman asked the foreign secretary what his department's officials were doing about the situation.

"Have Foreign Office officials informed lawmakers in the US and Britain about the ground realities?" he inquired.

Foreign Secretary Asad Majeed replied that the government had briefed federal and state ministers, as well as diplomats, about the situation.

He assured the committee that Pakistan was monitoring the situation closely and that the US had given assurances of respecting Pakistan's sovereignty. The prime minister was also actively reviewing the situation and would act in the best interest of the country.

The PAC also commended the government's agreement to purchase crude oil from Russia, considering it an important achievement for the foreign affairs ministry. Members of the committee, particularly Mushahid Hussain Syed, welcomed the move as it reduced dependence on the US dollar by conducting the purchase in a third country's currency.

The PAC condemned the insulting remarks of Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Munir Akram and directed the Foreign Office to take action against him.

The committee's chairman said those who spoke against Pakistan’s ideology should be removed from office.

In February of this year, Akram stated that the restrictions imposed by the Afghan interim government did not stem primarily from a religious perspective, but rather from a specific cultural viewpoint within Pashtun culture, which called for women to stay at home.

However, the next day, following criticism of his remarks, Akram issued a clarification, stating that his comments referred to a "specific perspective" held by a small minority that had led to the imposition of restrictions on women.

However, Noor said he was a Pashtun and Akram’s remarks had hurt his sentiments.

Despite the foreign secretary's reminder that the country's envoy to the UN had apologized for his comments, the PAC chairman asserted that Pakistan did not require officials who prioritized ethnicity over national unity.