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Updated June 14th, 2021 at 23:50 IST

Pakistan PM Imran Khan says he won't criticise China's Uyghur abuses due to economic ties

Chinese authorities have been accused of imposing forced labour, systematic forced birth control, and torture, and separating children from incarcerated parent

Reported by: Ujjwal Samrat
Imran Khan/Uyghurs
Image Credits: AP | Image:self
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Amidst raising questions and criticism over Pakistan's silence on China’s alleged human rights abuses against the ethnic residents in its northwest-most province, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan revealed why he does not defend the Uyghur Muslims. An estimated 1 million people or more — most of them Uyghurs — have allegedly been confined in re-education camps in China's western Xinjiang region in recent years, as reported by the Associated Press. Chinese authorities have been accused of imposing forced labour, systematic forced birth control, and torture, and separating children from incarcerated parents.

Pakistan PM Imran Khan Speaks On Chinese Uyghur Muslims

In an interview with CBC News, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was giving his reaction after a family from Pakistan was murdered in Canada in what has been alleged to be a hate-crime. As per reports, four people were killed and a nine-year-old boy suffered serious injuries when they were run down by a pickup truck. The family moved to Canada from Pakistan in 2007. "Everyone is shocked in Pakistan because we saw the family picture, and so a family being targeted like that has had a deep impact in Pakistan," said Imran Khan who has been vocal on the topic of alleged 'Islamophobia' in France and Canada. 

However, when asked why he does not advocate for China's Uyghur Muslims as he does for Muslims elsewhere, Imran Khan cited Pakistan's friendly and economical relations with China.

"Our relationship with China is as such that whatever issues we raise with China is always behind closed doors. Because Chinese society is such and we respect them. We have economic ties with China, they are our neighbour. They have been very good to us in our most difficult times. So, we respect the fact that we have concerns we talk about that behind closed doors," Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.

G7 Ministers Slam Persecution Of Uyghurs

In May this year, 'Group of Seven' (G7) countries rebuked China on issues concerning Hong Kong, human rights violations in Xinjiang, and military assertiveness in the South China Sea. G7 Leaders reiterated their serious concerns over human rights issues in China including alleged forced labour camps and a crackdown in Hong Kong against anti-government protestors and the persecution of the Uyghur minority in the province of Xinjiang. 

"We continue to be deeply concerned about human rights violations and abuses in Xinjiang and in Tibet, especially the targeting of Uyghurs, members of other ethnic and religious minority groups and the existence of a large-scale network of "political re-education" camps and reports of forced labour systems and forced sterilisation," said the joint statement of G7 Foreign Ministers. 

 (Image Credits: AP)     

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Published June 14th, 2021 at 23:50 IST

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