Editorial — IT is really unfortunate that the new US administration has unleashed a propaganda campaign against Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman.
Instead of correcting its own record of human rights and reining in those who have unleashed terror and oppression campaigns in illegally occupied territories, it is surprising to hear US President Joe Biden issuing a stern warning to Saudi leadership to hold the Kingdom accountable for its human rights abuses.
The fact of the matter is that the human rights record of Saudi Arabia is far better than most of the countries. The judicial system of the Kingdom is very strong and independent.
Hence, the US must stop raising fingers on the judicial system of the country as it amounts to direct interference in the internal affairs of an independent state.
As regards the recent report of the CIA blaming the Saudi Crown Prince of 2018 murder of columnist Khashoggi is concerned, the Saudi foreign ministry in a very categorical statement rejected it as negative and unacceptable and noted that the report contains inaccurate information and conclusions.
It is really heartening to see that other Muslim countries including Pakistan, the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain also expressing solidarity and support to the Saudi stance.
While our foreign office recognised the Saudi efforts in delivering justice in the Khashoggi case, the Gulf countries were appreciative of the Kingdom’s role in combating violence and extremism and its relentless support for security and stability in the region and across the globe.
The fact of the matter is that the Saudi government took all the possible measures within its legal system to ensure that individuals responsible for the murder of the journalist are properly investigated convicted and sentence and that justice was served.
The trial was held in the presence of the Khashoggi family and the very verdict was accepted by it. The US must understand that Saudi Arabia is respected in the entire Muslim Ummah including Pakistan and any action against the security and stability of the Kingdom will not be tolerated.
It is the Saudi Crown Prince, which has reinforced the policies of moderation in the Kingdom and his Vision 2030 aims at taking forward the Kingdom on sustainable economic progress and prosperity.
It will be better for the new US administration to set its priorities right and if it really believes in human rights, then it should immediately shut down the Guantanamo Bay prison which has gained global notoriety for abuses, harassment and injustice.
Then its focus should be on bigger issues such as that of the blatant and gross human rights violations that are taking place in the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine.
The occupied Jammu and Kashmir is under siege over the last eighteen months or so while the innocent Kashmiris are being targeted with pellet guns and illegal detentions.
The situation in Palestine is no different where the innocent Palestinians have been braving the worst form of Israeli tyranny and terrorism over the last many decades.
The whole Muslim Ummah will see how the Biden administration acts on the situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir as well as Palestine.
President Biden should use his influence to resolve these outstanding disputes as per the aspirations of oppressed people instead of browbeating the Muslim countries for no reason as such a posture will only further fuel anti-US sentiments across the Muslim countries.
