Israel’s criticism of human rights in Pakistan ‘politically motivated’: FO

The Foreign Office (FO) on Tuesday termed a statement by Israel that criticised the human rights situation in Pakistan during a United Nations (UN) session as “politically motivated” and “fundamentally at variance with the positive tone” of the meeting.

The strong rebuttal comes hours after Israel’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Adi Farjon, expressed her country’s “deep concern about the overall situation of the Human Rights in Pakistan” during a UN Human Rights Council sitting.

“Israel is deeply concerned about the overall Human Rights situation in Pakistan, where enforced disappearances, torture, crackdown on peaceful protests and violence against religious minorities and other marginalised groups remain prevalent,” she said.

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“Israel believes that it is essential that Pakistan heeds our recommendations to take all appropriate steps to prevent arbitrary arrests, torture and other ill-treatment and bring perpetrators of such acts to justice and end the widespread use of the death penalty, especially against children and persons with disabilities,” she added.

The Israeli envoy also demanded Pakistan to “decriminalise same-sex activities” in line with international human rights standards and adopt a “comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation” in this regard.

Farjon also expressed Israel’s concerns over the National Assembly’s amendment passed in January 2023 to tighten the blasphemy law in Pakistan, which she claimed was “often used to target and persecute religious and other minority groups”.

“Given Israel’s long history of oppression of Palestinians, Pakistan can certainly do without its advice on protecting human rights,” the statement added.

‘PTI-Israel nexus exposed’

Meanwhile, Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman has termed Israel’s criticism of the country’s human rights situation as Tel Aviv’s “support for Imran Khan”.

Addressing a press conference alongside Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Interior Attaullah Tarar in Islamabad, she said Israel had issued a “highly condemnable” statement on the alleged violation of PTI’s human rights.

“It is now evident that they have a nefarious alliance, they have a collusion that is an old one,” she alleged.

Sherry said that “it was a collusion in which Pakistan’s enemies, who spew venom against Palestinians, Muslims and Kashmiris at every international forum across the world, were now together supporting the PTI.”

The minister also linked the statement to the events of May 9, when countrywide protests had erupted after Imran’s arrest, during which several properties, including military installations, were vandalised.

“Everyone now knows who benefitted from May 9. Everyone knows why there was foreign funding. Everyone now knows why Imran Khan is called a foreign agent,” she said.

Sherry also berated Israel for its treatment of Palestinians.