US religious freedom violators listing biased, politicised: Bilawal

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has rejected the listing of Pakistan as a state of “particular concern” over religious freedoms by the United States and pointed out its bias as to how India has escaped the list. 

The US, in November, had grouped Pakistan along with 11 other countries, including China, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and North Korea, as being states that were “engaged in or (have) tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom.”

“It does seem that this is a slightly biased and politicised list,” Bilawal Zardari told an international media outlet in an interview on Wednesday.

“Otherwise, I do wonder why India is not on the list when its human rights, particularly religious freedom for their Muslim minority” had been a source of concern internationally, he said.

“Another ally of the US in the Middle East … which perpetuates curbs against (its) Muslim minority (and) Palestine” also did not make the list, FM Bilawal added, referring to Israel.

Nonetheless, he acknowledged Pakistan’s longstanding issues with religious extremism and violence, and pledged his government’s commitment to tackle them.

“(We) don’t need America to point out the problems that we in Pakistan face with religious extremism, with terrorism. That is a cause that is dear to my heart,” he added.

Bilawal said, “We’re absolutely cognisant of the challenges we face. And we’re serious about facing those challenges. Not because the United States said so or anybody else (said so). It’s because we believe that’s important for the future of our country.”

On India, he said the country had changed for the worse. “The India I grew up with … it was the largest democracy in the world. It was a secular country, home to all its citizens – Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists. Unfortunately, the India I see today is not the India I recognise growing up.

“This is an increasingly fascist India. It is hostile to Muslims outside its borders and within its borders, it is hostile to the Christians within its borders,” he added.

On the Ukraine issue, Bilawal said although he sympathised with Ukraine, Pakistan had its own issues to deal with and did not want to be involved in other conflicts. “There is too much misery going around in my own neighbourhood for us to be driven to engage with what is of course a devastating situation being carried out in Ukraine.”

The foreign minister termed Pakistan’s relationship with China “very comprehensive”, with much economic potential. “We’ve seen a commitment to incredible economic opportunity in our engagement with China. For example, with the CPEC [China Pakistan Economic Corridor], we have seen our communication and energy infrastructure really come up in the last decade,” he said.

“We call ourselves all-weather strategic partners, and we pride ourselves on the history of our relationship with China. There’s a lot of economic potential for us to unlock,” Bilawal added.

The foreign minister is on a seven-day visit for talks with world leaders at the UN headquarters and with senior US officials in Washington.

Speaking in the UN Security Council (UNSC), Foreign Minister Bilawal urged the global community to confront threats of genocide against minorities in “certain countries”. “We must confront the rise of the ideologies of hate, xenophobia, populist extremism and racial and religious intolerance, including Islamophobia, which imposes discrimination and violence, and even threats of genocide, against vulnerable minorities in certain countries.”

He said multilateralism must be based on “universal and consistent adherence” to the fundamental principles of the UN Charter — self-determination of peoples, non-use or threat of force, non-acquisition of territory by the use of force, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states and non-interference in their internal affairs.

The UN General Assembly must play the “central role” in reinforcing multilateralism and enhancing equity and justice in international relations, he added. The foreign minister said the world’s attention must also turn away from “pursuing narrow national ambitions” to addressing the global threats and challenges it confronts: climate change; nuclear threat; terrorism; refugees and migration; famine and hunger; the misuse of the metaverse. Bilawal stressed upon the UNSC to implement its resolutions over the Kashmir dispute and deliver upon its commitment to peace in the region.

“We believe it a multinational agenda, an agenda of this UNSC and if you want to see the success of the multilateral institution or multilateralism and the success of this very council, surely you can aid in this process; allow the implementation of the resolutions of the UNSC, when it comes to the question of Kashmir, prove that multilateralism can succeed, prove that the UNSC can succeed and deliver peace in the region,” he added.

Speaking to international media, Bilawal, meanwhile, said Pakistan believed in peaceful relationship with India. He said young population of both nations was desirous of establishing peaceful ties with one another.

Criticising Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), he added the PTI was not campaigning against the army’s involvement in politics but its decision to keep away from unconstitutional interference with the matters pertaining to no-confidence vote against the former prime minister Imran Khan. “If Mr Khan wanted himself to be called a politician, he must follow democratic norms,” he added.

Bilawal said it was Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) led government’s foremost duty to uphold democracy in the country and strengthen state institutions.

Responding to a question, he said the PDM-led government did not sign any deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) but PTI-led government did, adding that the former government had – after sensing its ouster – brought the country to the brink of default.

Speaking about the economic loss incurred by the country due to recent floods, he said Pakistan faced a loss of $30 billion – equivalent to 10pc of the country’s GDP. The incumbent government, in the first six months of its tenure, took strict measures to steer the country out of economic doldrums.

Highlighting India’s atrocities in Kashmir, he said hate politics was being promoted in the neighbouring country that was resulting in making lives of religious minorities in India a hell.