Speaking to the media at the Independence Day seminar, “Pehchaan Pakistan”, held by Express Media Group in Islamabad, Ashraf said, “While the media portrays the masked face of a bomber, it should also show faces of people who spread positivity in Pakistan.”
Recalling an incident when a foreign embassy’s representative visited his village, he said, “She [the representative] saw my village questioned me if anyone had been taught about human rights there. I pointed at a farmer working grazing the pastures and told her that he will explain her how we practice human rights.”
The premier said that he had called him and had told him to quote poet Mian Muhammad’s couplet to the embassy representative which translated as: “Raze down mosques and temples, but never destroy a person’s heart as God resides in it.”
‘Pakistan is our identity’
Speaking on the importance of independence, the prime minister said that “Our identity is Pakistan – it has been like this since its formation and will remain the same till the end of times – we can never have a substitute replacing this.”
He said that when the people who move abroad to earn livelihood die, their bodies are brought back to their native areas in order to bury them. Ashraf said this highlighted the importance of land being an individual’s identity.
‘Freedom is attained by democracy, not force’
Prime Minister Ashraf said that freedom is attained by democracy and not force. He said that many freedom fighters took up militancy to fight for the cause of freedom, but could not succeed until they had the masses backing them.
By the end of his speech, Ashraf announced a reward of Rs1 million to Shafay Thobani for his achievement of becoming the world’s youngest Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS).
COMMENTS (60)
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Does this guy Raja Pervaiz Ashraf understand what is meant by "human rights"? It is very clear he has no idea! Or is it the usual living in denial or the belief that repeating lies often enough will make it the truth?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nom6SQkO5-U&feature=youtubegdataplayer
Please watch the above link. Thank you.
dont get puzzeled he is just talking about the right side of human in pakistan.
was that a joke. or he thinks parliamentarians are the human. as AGP said PM is far above the law therefore not answerable to the court. dictators in democratic hide.
It was a slip of the tongue. What he wanted to say was that 'No one practices VIOLATION of human rights as much as Pakistan.
Yes, they do raze down temples and mosques, but never destroy a person's heart. They have not yet descended to the depths barbarism of ripping out the heart of a person - beheading, strangulation and shooting works just fine.
Pakistani psychosis working in overdrive.
@Raw is War:
Last rites can be witnessed at "boree band lashain" in Karachi
@Super sequel: "akistan has a liberal media and no laws restricting women or minorities from any advances except our cultural norms some might have"
Have you heard of blasphemy law? Hudood ordinance? Ulema not allowing violence against women act to pass? About the law that tstates Ahmadis are not Muslim? About the fact that police go and destroy Ahmadi places of wosrhip? Are you aware that there is a law that states tha no non-Muslim can become Prime Minister, President or COAS of the country?.
Law is one thing and then the legal system is another. Your judiciary freed Malik Ishaq because apparently kiling Shias is not a crime. It freed the Lal masjid group because TV coverage is no evidence (except when it comes to Arsalan case where suddenly it can trigger suo motu notices), the deicion in case of the forced conversion case is also known to all. The fact that the lawyers showered rose petals on Qadri, the judge who sentenced him to death had to run away from the country, the fact the Lahore BAr association passed a resolution banning the sale of Shezaan juice from the court canteen shows how committed they are to the cause of equality.
'no one practices human rights as much as Pakistan does'. When will the practice stop and the implementation begin?
Yes! Yes! One has seen you practicing human rights from Karachi to Peshawar to Northern Areas???? Well done Becket !!!!!
Still practicing so they can start doing it.
Of course. You need human right violations in order to practice human rights. And Pakistan's record is unparalleled on the former.
@Super sequel: You misspoke a little when you said "Pakistan is truly an example of a muslim democracy". You should instead have said, Pakistan is truly an example of how democracy is practiced in Muslim countries.
"“Raze down mosques and temples, but never destroy a person’s heart as God resides in it.”" +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The destruction of mosques and temples is 100 % implemented...ask any Ahamadiya or Hindu.
Why you people are bashing this guy, he is just trying to tell the Pakistan security services to bring back the kidnapped from Baluchistan in one piece.
Did the Prime Minister forget about the millions of Ahmadi/ Qadiani muslims in Pakistan? Where is their freedom of religion? La ilaha illalahu muhammadir rasulullah is their kalima. Yet perliament of Pakistan declared them non-muslims! They are persecuted every day by the administration. Just at the begining of Holy Ramadan police broke the minarets of an Ahmadi Muslim Mosque in Pakistan. Is that the example of religious freedom in Pakistan?
I don't know how our Prime Minister can say this. Pakistan is a country where extremist are threatening Non-Muslims, they kidnapped Non-Muslims for ransom, Hindu girls are kidnapped, converted to Islam and married to Muslim men. Target killing of Ahmadis and Shias is going on. Mullas declare anyone they want as deserving to be killed, murders of Salman Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti are clear evidence of it. You pick any English newspaper of Pakistan, this is what you will find about Pakistan and still our Prime Minister claims that no one practices human rights as much as Pakistan, it is pathetic to know.
One does not doubt Pakistan's Practice of Human Rights. It is the Pakistani Practice of HUMAN WRONGS that the rest of the world is concerned about. . Cheers
No other country runs cars on water the pakistan does!
Yes he is right,conspiracy by raw/cia/moosad is maligning the image of pakistan.
He is right. The ruling class is practicing the human rights more than anyone for themselves claiming immunity from any crime.
Hypocracy of the highest order
oolala. :-)
No one lives in fantasy land as much as Pakistan.
I am a Pakistani and yes I always try to be a better Human, that's enough for me!
media portraying masked face of bomber should also show faces of people who spread positivity in Pakistan.
I don't know he Actually meant that or not But it sounds True !!
That's so not jiyala attitude of being polite with the negative media of Pakistan. If Supreme court sacked Raja jee, the new Prime Minster should be Faisal Raza Abidi. bolo Jiay Bhutto!
@daljeet: "we invite you to the “THE GREAT INDIAN LAUGHTER CHALLENGE” sir!!"
Please do it , but with Manmohan Singh G !!!!!
The BIGGEST JOKE i have heard over the past 65 years
Human Rights include right to live a decent life and that includes some basic features such as: shelter, education, health, equality and opportunities based on merit rather than social class!!!! Clearly he needs to be educated on basics.
I want the same that he had been smoking before this Press conference!
I don't think he understands what is meant by 'human rights'.
Pathetic leadership...can we hear some truth for a change. sad..sad.
I guess we pakistanis always have an 'extremist' point of view. Let's say we are the biggest proponents of human rights.. On the other hand we abuse them at the same level too. Shameful
hoo hoo haha
I totally agree with the PM that we practice Human Rights. It's just that we never move beyond practice to actual implementation.
Perhaps most hilarious joke of the century
LOL =D Yes we are aware of it. and all the credit goes to PPP =D
If terrorism in Pakistan subsides and relationship with India improves, Pakistan can truly be a testament of a Muslim democracy... A true one, too. Pakistan has a liberal media and no laws restricting women or minorities from any advances except our cultural norms some might have. As one google author wrote, Pakistan is truly an example of a muslim democracy. It's time now to improve the economy to reap 100 percent benefit
ok?
Religion has substituted your identity sir. Pakistan comes later for majority of people!
I appreciate that he's trying to be positive, but he is out of his mind.
we invite you to the "THE GREAT INDIAN LAUGHTER CHALLENGE" sir!!
you mean last rites of humans?
Says the guy who promised no loadshedding after 31st Dec. 2009. Not enough walls to hit my head through!
Freedom is attained by democracy ? Yes we are free to run the polio vaccine, women in parachinar are free to go and shop on their own, people from other sects are free to practice their religion, and yes freedom is also about not paying taxes and manipulating system for personal gains....freedom is also about blowing up schools for girls......freedom is also about not writing a letter which can help the poor nation gets the money that was stolen from it back....and off-course freedom and democracy is also about protecting an individual who has done wrong and taken away freedom of others/ system.....
People is non-democratic systems are much more free, happy and progressive then what we have...while i support democracy, Mr. PM should not do lip service something that he has always been good at, but take practical measures to show that people of Pakistan are really free and have a democratic system that is good for them...
Pakistan Zindabad.
Isn't this the same guy who said he will end loadshedding by December 31, 2010? Coming from such a credible person, I can believe that Pakistan has the best human rights record in the world.
Which Human Rights does Pakistan practice exactly ? Just try dealing with immediate crises facing the minorities in the Country on daily basis ! That is Human Rights ! Not the figment of your delusional imagination.
Thats true! For example, our president, ruling elite and rich have so many rights that they are practically above law.
He's right! No nation gives you a right to take anyone's life and then have lawyers showring rose petals and offering free support as happens in Pakistan.