Seminar Highlighting Mounting Human Rights Abuses in India Held in Washington
By Nuzaira Azam
Washington: “Muslim countries lack true leadership, which is why the world is taking advantage of the situation,” said Sajid Tarar at a seminar organized jointly by the Pakistani American Press Association of America and Muslims for Trump in Washington on February 29, 2020. The seminar focused on “Mounting Human Rights Abuses in India.”
Tarar voiced his concern on the indifferent attitude of the Ummahon the persecution of Muslims in India today which reminds us of the devastation of Khilafat e Usmania. He strongly emphasized the need for the involvement of the youth in all community strivings as they have a great potential to bring about a wholesome change and make the needed improvements.
Prominent Pakistani and Kashmiri community members present on the occasion expressed their concern over the continuing human rights abuses in India and Kashmir.
Former Federal Minister of Minority Affairs of Pakistan Julius Salik said that a country could only be strong when its minorities are grantedtheir due rights. He said that Pakistan is the only country where the rights of minorities are recognized as is distinctly manifest from the national flag.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary General of World Kashmir Awareness Forum,enumerated mounting Indian abuses in Kashmir. He felt the Kashmiris should realize that they cannot afford to ignore the diplomatic help from Pakistan. Fai, however,expressed his concern that Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan had claimed himself to be the Ambassador of Kashmir but nothing has been done after that statement.
Referring to the ongoing human rights abuses in Indian Occupied Kashmir ArifAnsar questioned the Indian government if they were pushing their country into the past instead of taking it forward towards the future. He invited likeminded American Muslims to actively participate and help find solutions to the crisis.
Dr Samia Waseem, Sheikh Siddique, Mazhar Chughtai. Ghulam Nabi Mir, Faiz Rehman, Malik Nadeem Abid, First Secretary Political at the Pakistan Embassy Raza Shahid, Dr.Shawn, Dr Rizwan Malik, Fazal Khaliq, and Faqir Naqvi also expressed their concern for the disturbing situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir and participated in the discussion.
Earlier, President Pakistani American Press Association (PAPA) Khurram Shahzad welcomed the guests and moderated the program. PAPA’s General Secretary Yousuf Chaudhry introduced the speakers and highlighted the salient features of the program. Information Secretary Saqibul Islam delivered the vote of thanks.
(NuzairaAzam is Vice-President of the Pakistani American Press Association of America)
