Pakistan on Thursday made a strong demarche' over the refusal of the European Parliament to meet Senator Maulana Sami-ul-Haq and termed it entirely uncalled for and totally unacceptable. Pakistan had taken a strong exception to the treatment meted out to Senator Maulana Sami-ul-Haq by the European Parliament, a statement by the Foreign office said. The Foreign office on Thursday individually summoned the ambassadors of Belgium, and European Union, as well as the Netherlands, which holds the current Presidency of the EU, to lodge the protest.
Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, who was travelling as part of an eight-member delegation of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, was stopped at the Brussels airport by the authorities for an-hour-and-a-half on Tuesday. He was allowed to stay in Brussels for 24 hours, after which the delegation was scheduled to leave for London. Later the members of the European Parliament refused to meet Maulana Sami-ul-Haq.
Additional Secretary (Europe) Athar Mahmood made a strong demarche' to the three ambassadors against the action of the Belgian authorities and the refusal of the members of the European Parliament to meet Maulana Sami-ul-Haq.
He said Pakistan "deeply regretted the European Parliament's discriminatory behaviour towards Senator Maulana Sami-ul- Haq, leader of a major political party."
He said Maulana Sami-ul-Haq merited due respect, especially when he was representing Pakistan in Brussels.
The National Assembly also adopted a unanimous resolution against the "maltreatment" of the delegation. "The House strongly condemns the Brussels incident in which the government of Belgium maltreated the Pakistani Senate delegation," the resolution said.
Pakistan also pointed out the media frenzy in Belgium over Maulana's visit.
"The resultant refusal by the European Parliament to meet with the Senator were entirely uncalled for and totally unacceptable," the statement said.
After the incident, the Pakistani delegation refused to hold meetings scheduled with the EU authorities.
The Additional Secretary told ambassador of Belgium that it was highly regretful that Senator Maulana Sami-ul-Haq was singled out for such treatment by their immigration authorities.
"The attitude of the Belgian government was contrary to the rules of law, human rights and accepted norms of diplomatic practice," the statement added. The ambassador of the Netherlands, which is the current President of the EU agreed that the incident was regrettable and stated that the EU would take serious note of the demarche' of the government of Pakistan.
Members of the delegation of Senate's Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs have also deeply regretted the unjust and unfair treatment meted out to their fellow parliamentarian.
The incident did not allow the delegation to have a productive interaction with the European Parliament.