On Tuesday, Islamabad referred to an Israeli statement made during a United Nations (UN) session that criticised the human rights situation in Pakistan as being “politically motivated” and “fundamentally at variance with the positive tone” of the gathering.
The rebuttal came after Israel’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Adi Farjon, stated that his country was “deeply concerned” about the overall rights situation in Pakistan, where torture, enforced disappearances, crackdowns on peaceful protests, and violence against religious minorities and other marginalised groups are still common.
“Israel believes that it is crucial that Pakistan heeds our recommendations to take all necessary steps to prevent arbitrary arrests, torture, and other ill-treatment and bring perpetrators of such acts to justice and end the widespread use of the death penalty, especially against children and persons with disabilities,” she continued.
Israel, according to the envoy, also demanded that Islamabad adopt a “comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation” and “decriminalise same-sex activities” in accordance with global human rights standards.
Israel was also concerned about Pakistan’s National Assembly adopting amendments to the blasphemy law in January, which she claimed was “often used to target and persecute religious and other minority groups,” she continued.
The Foreign Office (FO) responded by pointing out that Pakistan’s Universal Periodic Report, which evaluates the human rights records of UN members, was unanimously approved during the same session.
Israel’s “politically motivated statement is fundamentally at variance with the otherwise positive tone of the session and the statements made by a vast majority of states,” the statement said, adding that “multiple states and civil society organisations commended Pakistan on the progress achieved in promoting human rights.”
The statement continued, “Pakistan can do without Israel’s advice on protecting human rights given its long history of oppression of Palestinians.
Meanwhile, government representatives linked the statement by Israel’s envoy with the PTI, with Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman seeing criticism of the country’s human rights situation as Tel Aviv’s “support for Imran Khan”.
Addressing a press conference alongside Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Interior Attaullah Tarar in Islamabad, she said Israel had issued a “highly condemnable” statement on the alleged violation of PTI’s human rights.
“It is now evident that they have a nefarious alliance, they have a collusion that is an old one,” she alleged.
Sherry went on to say that “it was a collusion in which Pakistan’s enemies, who spew venom against Palestinians, Muslims and Kashmiris at every international forum across the world, were now together supporting the PTI.”
The minister also made a connection between the statement and what happened on May 9, when nationwide demonstrations broke out in response to Imran’s arrest and several properties, including military installations, were vandalised.
“Everyone now is aware of the beneficiaries of May 9. Everyone is aware of the source of the foreign funding. Imran Khan’s status as a foreign agent is now universally understood, she claimed.
Sherry also criticised Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian people.
