ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday joined hands with China to condemn the Nobel peace prize committee’s decision to award the Nobel Peace 2010 to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. “Pakistan is surprised and deeply perturbed to learn about the decision,” said a Foreign Office statement issued in Islamabad.
The strongly-worded statement says the Nobel peace prize committee’s decision runs contrary to the established principles for the award of the prize and therefore cannot but be seen to be detracting from the prestige associated with this award.
Liu Xiaobo was sentenced by the Chinese judicial system and has done nothing that could possibly qualify him for the Nobel peace prize, it added.
The politicisation of the Nobel peace prize for the purposes of interference in the domestic affairs of states is not only contrary to the recognised principles of inter-state conduct, but also a negation of the underlying spirit conceived by the founder of the prize, the statement maintained.
“Pakistan deeply values the implementation of the commitments that the Peoples Republic of China has made to uphold the principles and norms of international law, humanity and civilised conduct.”
It goes on to say that China has made bold strides on the road to socio-economic development.
Pakistan has no doubt that under its “sagacious and visionary” leadership, the Chinese people will continue to pursue their national development priorities which have brought about substantial improvement in the standard of living and the rights of 1.3 billion people.
The spirit of humanity that imbues the Chinese civilisation is a shining example to the rest of the world, the statement concluded.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2010.
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