File photo of Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch
Pakistan will continue to take the lead in raising global awareness about Islamophobia and xenophobia, which impact fundamental rights, freedoms and the rights of over 2 billion Muslims globally, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said on Thursday.
Addressing a weekly press briefing, she noted that this week the U.N. Human Rights Council had held an urgent debate to discuss the “alarming” rise in premeditated and public acts of religious hatred. The debate resulted in the Council adopting a resolution presented by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemning any advocacy of religious hatred and underscoring the need to hold the perpetrators to account.
Acknowledging the “disappointment” of OIC states that the resolution could not achieve unanimous consensus, she said: “We believe that the Council must speak with one voice on the salient issue of Islamophobia, which affects human rights, fundamental freedoms, dignity and identity of over 2 billion Muslims.”
During her briefing, the spokesperson also marked the 92nd Kashmir Martyrs Day, commemorating the martyrdom of 22 Kashmiris in 1931. “We salute their valor, which kindled a valiant struggle for the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination and ignited a freedom movement that continues to this day,” she said, lamenting that over the past 70 years, Indian occupation forces had killed hundreds of Kashmiris simply for demanding their rights. “India’s unabated repression over the past seven decades has failed to break the will of the Kashmiri people who have continued to strive for their right to self-determination,” she said, emphasizing that Pakistan would continue to support Kashmiris’ inalienable right to self-determination, as enshrined in relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions.
In the question-and-answer session of her briefing, Baloch said it was the responsibility of Afghan authorities to ensure Afghanistan’s soil were not used for terrorism against Pakistan. “It is their responsibility and they have accepted this responsibility on various occasions, including in the trilateral statement, which was issued when the foreign minister of China and the acting foreign minister of Afghanistan visited Islamabad in May,” she said, adding they had assured Islamabad that Afghan soil would not be used for terrorism against Pakistan. “We expect them to fulfill those promises,” she added.
To another question on a delegation of Buddhists visiting Pakistan, she said they were here for a symposium on Gandhara heritage, which was an important event showcasing Pakistan’s Buddhist and multicultural heritage. “It is Pakistan’s desire to establish and strengthen its links with countries in East Asia and in South Asia. Buddhism is one common connection that has tied all these countries for centuries since the peak of the Gandhara civilization,” she said, adding the Ministry of Foreign Affairs fully supported this event and appreciated the “participation of our friends from various faiths, especially from the Buddhist faith, who have come from across the region and attended this event.”
On the Indus Waters Treaty, the spokesperson said it was very important and had served both Pakistan and India well. “It is a gold standard of bilateral treaties on water sharing. Pakistan is fully committed to its full implementation,” she said, adding Islamabad hoped India would do likewise. “I would also like to share with you that following the recent extraordinary rainfalls in northern India, and increased water flows into Pakistan especially in the Sutlej River, India has been sharing regular updates and reports on water discharge towards Pakistan, since July 9, as expected under the Indus Waters Treaty,” she added.
Baloch also announced that Azerbaijan’s Minister for Digital Development and Transport would undertake a three-day visit to Pakistan from Monday. She said the visiting minister would meet Pakistani counterparts in the ministries of Information Technology, Aviation, Communications, Railways and Maritime Affairs and explore bilateral cooperation in the areas of connectivity and Information Technology.