Bangladesh protests Pakistan assembly resolution on war crimes trials

The foreign ministry has sent ‘a diplomatic note’ to the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka protesting against a resolution that a provincial assembly adopted against Bangladesh’s war crimes trial.

It has deplored the adoption of the resolution by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Provincial Assembly of Pakistan and said it was “tantamount to direct interference” in the domestic affairs of Bangladesh.

The foreign ministry also said that it was a brazen denial of justice for the victims of the crimes committed by the convicted individuals and that the KPK Assembly chose to speak for Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.

The diplomatic note requested the Pakistan government to take “due note” of these issues.

The KPK Assembly was advised not to make such “sweeping, biased, misinformed and politically motivated remarks” about the independent legal system of a foreign country.

“By so doing the KPK Assembly seriously undermined its standing as a responsible, credible and representative body speaking on behalf of its constituency,” the note added.

Bangladesh won independence from Pakistan in 1971 and the Jamaat-e-Islami was then collaborating with Pakistan to stifle the freedom struggle.

Its leaders are currently facing trials for their murders, rape and many other crimes against humanity that generated anger from some of the Pakistani politicians particularly the Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami.

Dhaka had earlier summoned the Pakistan envoy twice and lodged strong protest against such comments.

“It was deeply regretted that despite repeated overtures made to the Pakistan side, the misleading, motivated and malicious campaign against the trials of the crimes against humanity and genocide in Bangladesh continued unabated within different quarters in Pakistan,” the foreign ministry said.