ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Friday condemned the execution of the chief of Bangladesh’s Jamaat-i-Islami, Motiur Rahman Nizami.

Speaking in the Senate, he said by hanging people who were accused of having links to the events of the 1971 war the Bangladeshi government was rubbing salt into the four-decade-old wounds of Pakistan.

He, however, expressed the hope that the strong reaction of the world community to the execution of political opponents would force Bangladesh to review its policy.

Condemning the hanging of Mr Nizami, he said the Bangadeshi government was targeting political opponents through flawed trials. He said 12 Islamist leaders had been awarded sentences for their alleged role in war crimes in 1971.

The adviser said the condemnation of these hangings, especially after the execution of Mr Nizami, had come from all over the world, including the UN Secretary General, Human Rights Watch (HRW), European Union, European Parliament and the United States. “All have asked to make the trial fair and impartial,” he said.

He said that the dimension of violation of human rights was important in such cases as loopholes had been pointed out in the judicial process. “Bangladesh has made an amendment to the constitution in which the authority to remove judges of the superior judiciary had been transferred from the country’s supreme judicial council to parliament. Now the judges could be removed for their incompetence instead of misconduct.”

He said the principle of separation of powers in Bangladesh had been affected and that was the reason behind such decisions. “We will highlight the issue in the Human Rights Council because it is a violation of Bangladesh’s agreement with Pakistan that it would not proceed against prisoners of war.”

The adviser also said that despite such odds Pakistan wanted good relegations with Bangladesh.

Nihal Hashmi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz said that those who remained loyal to Pakistan during the events of 1971 were being punished without providing them a chance of fair trial.

PML-N’s Chaudhry Tanvir said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should strongly condemn the hanging of Mr Nizami and other JI leaders.

Retired General Abdul Qayyum of the PML-N said those who had invited India’s intervention should have been sent to the gallows. He termed Hasina Wajid and her aides as snakes that had bitten Pakistan.

PML-N’s M. Hamza said had he been in Bangladesh in the 1970s he would have done the same as had been done by JI leaders.

Former federal minister and parliamentary leader of the PML-N in the house Mushahidullah Khan recalled that former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had used abusive language against Bengalis.

Without naming the military spokesman, he said a person who frequently tweets should have also tweeted against the conviction of Mr Nizami.

He said that the military was in power during the 1971 war and these Islamist leaders who were being executed in Bangladesh had fought with it during the war. He regretted that no tweet came from him to condemn the incident.

Mr Mushahidullah said that the dismemberment of Pakistan was the outcome of a long history of injustices done with Bangalis.

He said a large population of the county was still with Pakistan, adding that the actions of the Bangladeshi government did not mean that Bengali people were against Pakistan.

Leader of the House Raja Zafarul Haq said that a series of judicial murders was going on in Bangladesh. “India has a plan to eliminate all elements in Bangladesh who are in favour of Pakistan.” He proposed that efforts should be made to bring both the countries together.

The house will meet again on Monday at 4pm.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2016