ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York Munir Akram explained his “controversial” statement before a National Assembly panel on Tuesday, saying that he had “mistakenly” mentioned Pashtuns instead of Taliban in his statement to a UN forum recently about restrictions imposed on women in Afghanistan.
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, led by its Chairman Mohsin Dawar here, questioned Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN in New York for “misrepresentation of Pashtun culture and women in the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs” earlier this month.
The permanent representative appeared before the panel via a video link from New York who told the participants he had already tendered an apology for his remarks, saying it was not a written statement but an open discussion.
“I have apologised for mistakenly saying Pashtun instead of Taliban in my speech,” Munir Akram said, adding that in the forum it was debating to stop the Afghan interim government’s assistance in response to its steps of restricting women from education and work.
Akram’s controversial remarks during a briefing in New York on February 1, triggered wide-ranging condemnations by saying: “The restrictions that have been put by the Afghan interim government flow not so much from a religious perspective as from a peculiar cultural perspective of the Pashtun culture, which requires women to be kept at home. This is a peculiar, [and] a distinctive cultural reality of Afghanistan, which has not changed,” he said at the UN briefing on February 1.
“And this is a peculiar, distinctive cultural reality of Afghanistan which has not changed for hundreds of years.”
To the committee, Akram explained that he had opposed stopping the humanitarian assistance of the Afghan interim government in the UN for the reason that such a move would further deteriorate the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
However, the committee members expressed their displeasure over the controversial statement with chairman Mohsin Dawar recalled that the video statement of the ambassador is viral on social media and questioned him for “representing” the Taliban at the UN forum.
“Being a permanent representative to the UN, these are not your words, but of the state of Pakistan. You linked the Taliban’s restrictions on women with culture and insisted that it is not linked to the religion,” the chairman asked the ambassador.
“You also stated in that speech that the Taliban have imposed a ban on selling women. Do you think, it does not imply to say otherwise that the previous Afghan government had allowed selling women? Isn’t it Taliban’s representation in the UN?” the chairman further remarked.
On this, the ambassador said that he had adopted a “balanced” approach at the UN, saying that the Taliban do not get an opportunity to represent themselves at the global body.
In his remarks, Dawar maintained that the Taliban took the control of Afghanistan through guns and why would the UN gives representation to them.
“God forbid, if Noor Wali Mehsud [TTP chief] takes over the country tomorrow, and a neighbouring country represents him at the UN, then how would you see that? Don’t you think, you should have resigned?” the chairman further asked the permanent representative.
At this, the ambassador left himself at the disposal of the committee, saying that he had served Pakistan at the diplomatic front for the last 50 years and “it is up to the government” if it decides to remove him for his “one mistake”.
The committee, however, accepted the apology of Munir Akram with the condition “not to do” the same at the UN platform which was construed as an insult to the Pashtun culture. The committee had asked for his formal apology at the committee’s platform.
Taking the floor, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar said that the permanent representative has admitted that it was a mistake and for which he has also tendered an apology.
Khar articulated Pakistan’s foreign policy guided by the constitution of Pakistan, on matters of banning women from public sphere. She further stated that Pakistan will continue to engage with the Afghan government and the world on the issue of humanitarian aid which to require to avoid instability in Pakistan, halt the influx of refugees and evade the menace of terrorism.
While giving a briefing on the murder of senior journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya, senior officers of the Interior Ministry told the panel that the matter is under hearing in the court.
The committee, however, decided to call an in-camera session on February 21 to discuss the progress report of Arshad Sharif’s case.
The panel was also told by senior officers of the Foreign Office that Pakistan has ratified the Prisoner Transfer Agreement with 11 countries but a formal signature from Turkiye is still pending. Furthermore, an agreement with 35 countries are under consideration.
The meeting was attended by Mohammad Khan Daha, NoorulHassan Tanvir, Maiza Hameed, Nawab Sher, Mohammad Abu Bakar, Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, and senior officers of the ministries of foreign affairs and interior.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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