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Nisar criticises government's failure to condemn recent US drone strike; Prevent BRICS declaration; proposes relief fund for Rohingya refugees

September 20, 2017

ISLAMABAD:Sep 20 (INP) Former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said on Wednesday that it is surprising that Pakistan did not even issue a formal condemnatory statement against the US drone attack in Kurram Agency on September 15. A suspected US drone strike killed three and injured two in Kurram Agency of the Federal Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on Friday. Speaking in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Nisar, a senior and presently disgruntled leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, said Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi met with the US ambassador the day after the drone attack and it was surprising to see that he did not issue a statement against it but it was stated that it was a courtesy call. “If PM Abbasi was in the house today, I would have raised this issue personally, not in the assembly,” he added. “Drone attacks are a challenge to Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. I am telling the world to respect Pakistan.” The former interior minister said that the speaker, on behalf of the government and opposition, should send a letter to British politician and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for standing with Pakistan. Criticising the Pakistan Foreign Office, he said that the recent BRICS resolution was against Pakistan due to India's succesful diplomatic effort. “This was not a sudden event. India was preparing for it for long and our Foreign Office was sleeping, Our diplomats should be asked about it,” he said. Nisar demanded an emergency meeting of the OIC foreign ministers and establishment of a relief fund in Pakistan for the Rohingya Muslims. He said Parliamentarians can contribute to it and get donations from the private sector. He termed the OIC a redundant organisation but said that Pakistan should however said a request for its meeting. Nisar said that the exodus of 450,000 Rohingya Muslims from their homes in Myanmar and state-sponsored persecutions against them is a matter of shame for humanity. “Human rights organisations raise a hullabaloo when even a dog is killed but here Muslims are being killed and they are silent,” he said. He also demanded that a parliamentary delegation should be sent to Bangladesh to see the situation in which Rohingya muslims are living. He also suggested that national assembly Speaker should write letters to speakers of Muslim countries as well as IPU and P-5 countries speakers to draw their attention to Rohingya situation. INP/AH