- Says carnage against innocent civilians in Gaza by Israel cannot be justified
- Unveils dossier about Indian oppression on minorities, describing Hindutva as a challenge
ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Wednesday regretted that western media was defending brutal invasion of besieged Palestinian enclave of Gaza and unprecedented atrocities being committed by Israel against innocent Palestinians.
“Carnage against innocent civilians in Gaza by Israel cannot be justified in any way,” PM Kakar declared while speaking at Margalla Dialogue in Islamabad here on Wednesday.
On the occasion, the caretaker premier launched a dossier detailing Indian oppression on religious minorities and unveiled the dossier prepared by Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI).
Delighted to have spoken at the Margalla Dialogue today organised by @IPRI_Pak. Heartening to see Pakistan's policy makers come together with renowned international scholars and policy-makers to discuss and find solutions to the challenges facing Pakistan and the region. pic.twitter.com/jzPH3lTjSu
— Anwaar ul Haq Kakar (@anwaar_kakar) November 15, 2023
The dossier explains how instances of majoritarian violence have been inflicted on religious minorities since 2014, the year when Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party came to power. It also adds that 294 incidents of extremism against minorities occurred in the year 2021 alone. It also details how hundreds of churches were burned to the ground in the Manipur incident this year.
The dossier says that dozens of historical mosques in India are under threat and over 1,600 mosques are facing a media campaign.
Speaking at the occasion, Kakar said that India was promoting instability in the region. He, however, added that Pakistan has emerged as a responsible state and will continue to play a positive role for world peace.
نگران وزیراعظم انوار الحق کاکڑ کا اسلام آباد پالیسی ریسرچ انسٹی ٹیوٹ کے زیر اہتمام مارگلہ ڈائلاگ 2023 میں خطاب@anwaar_kakar
Live Stream links:
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— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) November 15, 2023
PM Kakar described Hindutva’s emergence as a ‘challenge’, saying that RSS was continuously targeting minorities in India. “Minorities enjoying ‘complete protection’ in Pakistan”, the Premier added.
He also questioned the prolongation of the Kashmir issue and said that a solution would have to be found eventually. “UN resolutions on the Kashmir issue have been exist in its true sense”, he added.
Keeping in mind Pakistan’s best interests, Kakar desired cordial relations between Pakistan and India and said a large number of Hindus and Sikhs reside in the country and all religions are respected.
The caretaker prime minister on November 11 strongly condemned Israeli aggression and inhumane blockade of Gaza at the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit, held in Riyadh, Suadi Arabia.
At the Margalla Dialogue, organised by the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) other speakers including interim Foreign Minister Pakistan Jalil Abbas Jilani, former US ambassador Robin Raphels, Deputy Director at CICR Qin Tian, and Senator Mushahid Hussain also spoke earlier in the day.
Speaking to the audience, Kakar further said that Pakistan is looking to the east to boost trade. While mentioning that trade and corridors will benefit the economy, he added that the country has many opportunities to connect with Central Asia.
The prime minister further added that building infrastructure is the need of the hour for the country’s growth.
In a post on the social media platform ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter), the caretaker prime minister, appreciating the event hosted by IPRI said: “Heartening to see Pakistan’s policymakers come together with renowned international scholars and policy-makers to discuss and find solutions to the challenges facing Pakistan and the region.”
