On Friday (20th October), Pakistan’s Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar visited the Xinjiang University at Urumqi in the Xinjiang province of China. During his address to the students of Xinjiang University, he lectured about Gaza and the so-called atrocities against Palestinians. Pakistani Prime Minister also bragged it as if he was raising the voice of the voiceless, comfortably ignoring that Muslims in Xinjiang province are perpetually subjected to Chinese oppression.
Anwaar ul Haq Kakar posted from his X handle, “While concluding my address to the students of Xinjiang University in Urumqi today, I raised my voice to speak for the voiceless people of Gaza under Israel’s ruthless aggression.”
While concluding my address to the students of Xinjiang University in Urumqi today, I raised voice to speak for the voiceless people of Gaza under Israel's ruthless aggression pic.twitter.com/5x17z7YwBb
— Anwaar ul Haq Kakar (@anwaar_kakar) October 20, 2023
In his speech, Anwaar ul Haq Kakar said, “I am saddened in an environment where the situation in the Middle East, particularly with reference to Gaza has saddened a million and millions of peace-loving people across the globe coming from diversifying ethnic groups, religious groups. This act of barbarism has appalled everyone including Pakistani nation, Chinese nation, and other nations around the globe. We appeal and we will play our role to stop this barbaric act against the innocent Palestinian civilians.”
It is notable that China has oppressed the Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang province for a long time. Muslims are kept in ‘re-education’ camps, where they are motivated to leave Islam. China has also banned the display of Islamic religious signs, demolished a large number of mosques, and changed the facade of others to make them not look like mosques.
However, in order to portray that all is well for the Muslims in Xinjiang, Pakistan’s PM Anwaar ul Haq Kakar also visited a mosque in Xinjiang. He also posted a short video clip of the visit from his X handle. In the caption of the video, he wrote, “Had the opportunity to offer Friday prayers today at the historic mosque in Urumqi, Xinjiang Province, China.”
آج جمعہ کی نماز چین کے صوبہ شنجیانگ کے شہر اُرمچی میں تاریخی مسجد میں ادا کرنے کا موقع ملا۔ pic.twitter.com/QryjZYnKAw
— Anwaar ul Haq Kakar (@anwaar_kakar) October 20, 2023
The flagrant display of hypocrisy by Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar during his address at Xinjiang University is not only prominently noticed but also glaringly contradictory. While fervently advocating for the rights of Palestinians during his address in a province marred by Chinese oppression, he conveniently chose to turn a blind eye to the plight of the Uyghur Muslims, who face systematic discrimination and human rights violations under the same government that Pakistan is indebted to.
This paradoxical stance echoes the insincerity of Pakistan’s moral compass, raising pertinent questions about the selective nature of its purported advocacy for oppressed communities. It is notable that Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, and other religious minorities in Pakistan itself face dire discrimination and violence on religious lines. With this move, Prime Minister Kakar has showcased not only the hollowness of his solidarity but also the inherent contradictions and sheer imprudence of his political rhetoric.
