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Today's Paper | April 29, 2024

Updated 01 Feb, 2017 04:30pm

'The world is protesting Trump's immigration ban, why aren't we?' PTI asks in NA

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday presented a resolution in the National Assembly (NA) against American President Donald Trump's ban on immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries.

The resolution, presented by Dr Arif Alvi, Sheerin Mazari and Asad Umer and backed by other opposition parties, called for Pakistan to officially raise the issue at different international forums.

The PTI leaders highlighted the fact that people all over the world were out on the streets protesting the Trump administration's move and said that the least the Pakistani government could do as a Muslim country was call the American ambassador and discuss the nation's stance on the matter.

The resolution submitted said the Trump administration's move to ban immigrants and refugees from seven different Muslim countries is a violation of human rights and racist in nature.

However, the deputy speaker of the NA did not let PTI leaders submit the resolution and told them that the resolution can only be accepted if it is brought to him in accordance with NA rules.

Outrage around the world

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump sparked outrage all over the world when he signed a sweeping new executive order to suspend refugee arrivals and impose tough new controls on travellers from seven Muslim countries.

The seven countries mentioned in the order are Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, but the decision's effects could extend well beyond barring newcomers from these countries.

Making good on one of his most controversial campaign promises, and to the horror of human rights groups, Trump said he was making America safe from “radical Islamic terrorists”.

Since the orders were signed, people all over the world have been protesting against it.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Sunday that Trump's move “will be recorded in history as a great gift to extremists and their supporters.”

“Collective discrimination aids terrorist recruitment by deepening fault-lines exploited by extremist demagogues to swell their ranks,” he tweeted.

Few anticipated the rally that developed almost at lightning speed at JFK airport over the weekend after Trump's executive order.

A small crowd of demonstrators at the city's far-flung John F. Kennedy Airport swiftly swelled into several thousand to decry the move to restricts refugees and travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries.

Alerted by social media and news reports, they held up homemade signs and chanted “Let them in!” late into the night.

Thousands of people gathered at various other airports to record their protests against the move. They were carrying placards inscribed with slogans in favour of refugees and against Trump administration.

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