In a shocking incident, Pakistan PM, Imran Khan has shamelessly dodged a question about the mistreatment of around two million Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang province of China. During an interview with the Financial Times, Imran Khan was asked about his stance on China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims. Pakistan PM, Imran Khan who appeared clueless about the issue replied, “Frankly, I don’t know much about that.” When pressed further, Imran Khan said that the Muslim world was going through the worst phase but did not speak much about the mistreatment of Uyghur Muslims in China. He said, “If I had enough knowledge I would speak about it. It is not so much in the papers.” It is interesting to note that Pakistan PM has eloquently alleged that the minorities were being mistreated in India. He had made such allegations without any evidence to support his claims. However, when it comes to the mistreatment of Uyghur Muslims, Pakistan’s PM dodges the question because it is “not so much in the papers”.
Imran Khan hasn’t heard about #Uyghur Muslims in China pic.twitter.com/lERKxKTkdI
— Ismail Royer (@IsmailRoyer) March 28, 2019
The excuse that Imran Khan gave for his ignorance about the plight of Uyghur Muslims is absolutely bizarre and insensitive. Just because he did not happen to read about their plight in the “papers”, he doesn’t care much about the blatant violation of the human rights of the Uyghur Muslims. And this is no ordinary citizen that we are talking about; it is the Prime Minister of Pakistan who has displayed such shameless ignorance. It seems that the Pakistan PM does not read Pakistan Today, an English daily newspaper in Pakistan. Last year, the newspaper did not only cover the issue of Uyghur Muslims but had also showered appreciation on Chinese Premier Xi-Jinping with respect to his policies in the Xinjiang region. The newspaper had stated, “President Xi Jinping has tackled the threat with a two pronged strategy i.e. deal with the terrorists with an iron fist, while eradicating the source of grievances by bringing prosperity, development and religious freedom to the Uyghurs and other minorities.” It is clear that while the Pakistani media shamelessly defends and extols the violation of human rights of the Uyghur Muslims, the Pakistan PM exhibits total ignorance about the issue.
This is not for the first time that Pakistan PM Imran Khan has been questioned about the issue of the mistreatment of Uyghur Muslims in China. Earlier, in the month of January this year, he had been asked, “You’re doing business with China does it mean you cannot criticise them when it comes to what they are doing with Uighurs,” during an interview with Turkey’s state broadcaster TRT World. In that interview, Imran Khan had also said that China had cooperated with Pakistan in several areas, some of which he cannot even disclose because China wanted to keep the details of the aid confidential.
The fact that China has been co-operating with Pakistan in a number of areas, some of which the Pakistan PM cannot even speak about could actually be the issue why Imran Khan simply dodged the question about the persecution of Uyghur Muslims in China. It seems that Pakistan has given in to China as the terrorist country cannot survive without Chinese aid. Imran Khan’s statement suggests that China might be exercising even more influence over Pakistan than what is clearly visible. Pakistan which has identified itself with the Muslim identity several times in the past is now turning a deaf ear towards the grievances of the Uyghur Muslims, because China exercises overbearing influence over Pakistan. Last year, the reports of China building an exclusive Chinese zone within Pakistan had come to light. Rightlog.in had opined that the Chinese move of setting up its colony in the Pakistani port city of Gwadar resembled to a large extent the manner in which the English had come to colonise India. It seems that Pakistan is on the verge of being colonised by the Chinese which explains Imran Khan’s bizarre ignorance of the plight of Uyghur Muslims.
