Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has finally revealed reasons behind is deafening silence over the plight of Uyghur Muslims in China. As per reports, on Wednesday, at the World Economic Forum, at Davos, Switzerland, Khan was asked about his lack of criticism over the plight of Uyghur Muslims in China. While at first Khan said he did not “know much” about the mistreatment of Uyghur Muslims in China, he later said that “China is a great friend” and has helped Pakistan when it reached rock bottom and hence Pakistan government is grateful to Chinese government.
As reported by news agency ANI, in an exclusive interview with Germany-based DW, on 16th January Khan had avoided speaking on Uyghur Muslim issue in China as it is a ‘sensitive’ issue while speaking at length on Kashmir, which is an internal matter of India. Khan had said that the “scale of what is happening in India” is nowhere comparable to what is happening in China. He further said that Islamabad talks to Beijing over such ‘sensitive’ topics privately and not publicly.
China has been on the receiving end of criticism over its alleged treatment to Uyghur Muslims and sending them to mass detention centres. China has also been accused of oppressing and interfering Uyghur Muslims in their religious activities.
Chinese oppression of Uyghur Muslims has been known for a long time. Earlier the Chinese police had imposed a dress code for Uyghur women, under which the Muslim women are not allowed to wear long dresses. Last year photos had appeared on social media showing police cutting dresses of Uyghur women for being “too long”. It was also reported that Han Males are sleeping on the same bed as Uyghur Muslim women in China whose male family members, often husbands, are locked up in ‘reeducation camps’ in conformity with a diktat by the Chinese regime.
Despite such atrocities, China has not faced any repercussions for its ongoing totalitarian policies which are most heinously affecting the Uyghurs. They have been abandoned by the Muslim world as well. Imran Khan, who cannot stop engaging in delirious rhetoric against India regarding Kashmir, has refused to condemn China’s actions against Uyghurs.
He continues to call China the best friend of Pakistan and has maintained a carefully crafted mask of ignorance over the entire issue. The OIC, while issuing statements on India, has refrained from issuing any statement on the Uyghurs.
