Oppression led to the birth of Bangladesh, says Pakistan’s Imran Khan

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that if the rights of the minorities are not upheld, it can lead to an uprising, Indian media reports.

The former cricketer spoke at a ceremony in Lahore on Sunday in the midst of a controversy surrounding the remarks by Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah on mob lynching in India. 

Khan also cited the creation of Bangladesh as an example in his speech at the event organised to highlight the 100-day achievements of the Punjab government in Lahore.

"People of East Pakistan were not given their rights. This is the main reason behind the creation of Bangladesh," he said.

After the partition of India in 1947, the people of East Pakistan (today’s Bangladesh) were being consistently exploited and deprived of their rights.

As much as 56 percent of Pakistan's entire population was residing in East Pakistan at that time. But in the first national budget, only about 18 percent of the total fund was given to East Pakistan for development.

For the next two decades, the majority of the people of East Pakistan were deprived in social, economic and political sectors by the rulers of West Pakistan. The Bangalees had to fight to establish the right to their mother tongue.

The West Pakistan military launched an unexpected attack on the unarmed people of East Pakistan on the night of Mar 25, 1971.

Under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, people fought the Liberation War and won the victory on Dec 16, 1971 after West Pakistan surrendered.

The latest development came after a policeman was killed in mob violence in India’s Uttar Pradesh earlier this month after cow carcasses were found in the forests close to a police post.

Naseeruddin Shah found himself in hot water after he said that the death of a cow was being given more importance than the killing of a policeman in India.

“I feel anxious for my children because tomorrow if a mob surrounds them and asks, 'Are you a Hindu or a Muslim?' they will have no answer,” said Shah.

Commenting on the incident, Khan said Pakistan will show the Modi government how to treat minorities.

“Even in India, people are saying that minorities are not being treated as equal citizens,” he said.

“We have to help our minorities and protect them as Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah laid emphasis on granting equal rights to minorities.”

In response, Shah told The Indian Express: “I think Mr Khan should be walking the talk in his own country instead of commenting on issues that don’t concern him. We have been a democracy for 70 years and we know how to look after ourselves.”