PM Nawaz forms cabinet committee on relief efforts for Rohingya

Published June 6, 2015
Demonstrators shout slogans during a protest in support of Rohingya Muslims at a rally in Peshawar.- AFP
Demonstrators shout slogans during a protest in support of Rohingya Muslims at a rally in Peshawar.- AFP

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday constituted a federal cabinet committee to suggest measures and relief efforts that Pakistan can undertake for Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims.

The committee members include Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, adviser on national and foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz and special assistant to the premier Tariq Fatemi.

The committee will meet tomorrow (Sunday) to deliberate on the issue of Rohingya Muslims and evaluate Pakistan's role in alleviating their misery.

In a statement today, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan lamented over the international community's inaction and "criminal silence" on the atrocities in Myanmar. He slammed human rights organisations for not taking appropriate measures to highlight the persecution and genocide of the Rohingya people.

Know more: Mass graves with ‘hundreds of bodies’ found in Malaysia.

"The silence of such bodies raises serious questions about the utility and effectiveness of international forums that proclaim themselves as upholders, defenders and promoters of human rights and democratic values", Nisar said.

The interior minister made an impassioned appeal to the United Nations, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the entire Muslim world and regional powers to not close their eyes to the plight of the Rohingya Muslims.

Also read: Rallies against Rohingya killings.

He said ignorance on part of these bodies would nullify recent efforts aimed at addressing grievances of Muslims to wean away their youth falling into the traps of militants.

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