Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Monday urged the Canadian government to take notice of the irresponsible statement of a Canadian parliamentarian against Pakistan and its institutions.
Speaking at the floor of National Assembly, the defence minister said that Canadian Parliamentarian Tom Kmiec targeted Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and talked about the internal situation in Pakistan. He said a government was removed in Pakistan as a result of a democratic procedure, which was endorsed by the judiciary. He said even today, the majority of the Members of the National Assembly of Pakistan are sitting in the House.
The Defence Minister said what an irony it is that western countries always exercise selective sense of justice and look aside when there is a matter of the rights of Muslims in Kashmir, Palestine and Myanmar. He said Canada has become a leading country of the G-7 group regarding the rising incidents of Islamophobia in the last five years.
He said, “Pakistan and military leadership was criticized by a Canadian parliamentarian, which is deplorable, the Canadian government should take action on irresponsible statement.”
He said that a protest had also been registered through diplomatic channel against the remarks but it was necessary to debate the issue in Pakistan’s Parliament too.
Pakistan is enjoying cordial ties with Canada but the remarks against the Pakistan state and its institution cannot be tolerated, he said. He alleged that PTI chief Imran Khan is involved in an anti-state campaign outside the country.
He said that the government in Pakistan had been changed through legal process and according to the constitution.
The Minister said that change of government had also been endorsed by Pakistan judiciary and the majority supported the move.
He said that, in the incident of Isamophobia in Canada, Muslims from 2017 to 2022 were targeted and killed in various incidents.” The human rights violations are on the rise in Canada” he added.
