ENTIRE Pakistani nation and Kashmiri people are really disappointed over the bestowing of highest civil award by United Arab Emirates to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has a track record of butchering innocent Muslims, first in Gujarat and now in occupied Kashmir. How the Indian Muslims are also being maltreated in India is also before everybody.
Undoubtedly the people of Pakistan are proud of its relationship with the friendly UAE who always have stood by us in difficult times. Most recently it gave a financial package to Pakistan when it was faced with dire economic situation. Both India and the UAE also have a very robust economic partnership and the award of civil highest award to Modi by the UAE is a matter something between the two countries. Nonetheless, we understand that the timing of the award was not right. At a time when Modi is involved in genocide in occupied Kashmir and put in place a complete lockdown there over the last three weeks, the message from the Muslim Ummah should be that of unity and cohesion. Activists have also expressed their concerns on the matter saying it only gives cover to India amidst the Kashmir crackdown. Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani cancelled his visit to the UAE in the backdrop of Modi’s visit there. Talking to the media persons, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi made a very important statement saying the Gulf stood by Pakistan on the issue of Kashmir and he was hopeful that its leadership would not disappoint Islamabad once it was presented with facts about New Delhi’s atrocities in the occupied Valley. Though the Foreign Minister has put in great effort to apprise the world community of ongoing Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir but we understand that the friends in the Gulf have not been contacted and briefed on the matter as the Foreign Office should have. We expect that FM Qureshi will immediately contact his UAE’s counterpart and apprise him not only of the dangerous situation evolving in occupied Kashmir but also the sentiments of Pakistani nation on the issue of giving an Award to the butcher of Muslims. The fact of the matter is that Hindutva ideology poses threat not only to Pakistan and Kashmir but it can also engulf other Muslim countries. We need to apprise our Gulf brothers on the threat posed by Modi and his extremist strategy. He cannot be a friend of Muslims. His warm embrace is only to create wedge amongst the Muslim Ummah.