ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Thursday condemned what it called the cold-blooded and callous genocide of innocent Rohingya Muslims under the direct patronage of state institutions of Myanmar.
“Government of Pakistan condemns the cold-blooded and callous genocide of innocent Rohingya Muslims, including women, children and even infants under the direct patronage of state institutions of Myanmar,” a statement released after the meeting stated. A resolution passed by the cabinet maintained that the brutal and barbaric acts perpetrated against the unarmed civilian population not only constitute state terrorism but also question the collective human conscience across nations and societies. “These atrocities have also revealed the appalling hypocrisy of the democratic leadership of Myanmar,” the statement said.
“We call upon Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to take immediate steps to stop the atrocities being committed in Myanmar where her party is in power,” the resolution demanded, adding, “We also call upon the United Nations to take the lead, which it must under its mandate, in stopping immediately the genocide of Rohingya Muslims by Myanmar.”
The cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi at the Prime Minister’s Office also approved several agenda items including: the ratification of the Air Services Agreement between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of Belarus; ex-post facto approval, in principle, to start the negotiation and approval to sign the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Pakistan and Senegal for cooperation in the field of higher education and research; ex-post facto approval of the cabinet to start negotiations and approval for the signing of agreement on industrial, scientific and technical cooperation between Republic of Belarus and Government of Pakistan; approval to amend the existing convention between Pakistan and Finaland for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income for up gradation of article on exchange of information; approval to amend the existing convention between the Republic of Italy and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income for updation of article on exchange of information; approval to amend the existing convention between Pakistan and Turkey for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income for updation of article on exchange of information; protocol amending the convention between Government of Pakistan and the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income – approval to sign the protocol.
Published in Daily Times, September 8th 2017.
