ISLAMABAD: The FO spokesperson, during the weekly briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, said in a separate tragic incident, 7 Pakistani nationals have so far perished in a boat wreck near Benghazi, Libya. “The Embassy of Pakistan in Libya is facilitating the process of identification of the bodies and transportation of the mortal remains to Pakistan with the support of local authorities and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The embassy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs are also in contact with the families of the deceased,” she said.
“Two Pakistani nationals lost their lives in the recent tragic case of Pakistanis who were onboard a vessel that capsized off the coast of Italy on 26th January 2023. 17 Pakistanis have been rescued while two individuals are still missing. Our embassy in Rome remains actively engaged with the Italian authorities for the welfare of survivors and transportation of the mortal remains of the deceased,” confirmed the spokeswoman.
The Foreign Office is, as expected, finding it difficult to assess the correct numbers of Pakistanis who have perished in Italy and Libya while trying to migrate illegally. However, names of deceased or in custody will be shared soon.
The spokeswoman said that it should not be that they are talking about a human tragedy that has taken place. “It is always a very sad occasion for this ministry or for any of our embassies to announce such tragic incidents or details of causalities. Secondly, in incidents where not everyone involved is going through regular legal channels, it is difficult for government authorities and especially our embassies to ascertain details about individuals who may not have their papers with them,” she pointed out.
The Government of Pakistan and the Foreign Offices have been very careful in making any announcements as they are sharing information with the media, which is accurate and based on evidence. “Seven individuals have perished in the Benghazi incident. We are in contact, as I said earlier, with local authorities as well as the Red Cross to access the bodies, to identify them and to make sure that we have the accurate information before we make any announcements. We are also in contact with families and are trying to facilitate by providing them information about their loved ones. I would not like to share the names of the victims at this stage. At some point we will be releasing the names as identified authentically with their documents and confirmed by their families,” she said.
She said, “The minister of state invited international attention to the situation of human rights in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K), called for the protection of the rights of Kashmiris in the occupied territory, and urged the High Commissioner for Human Rights to present an updated report and apprise this council about the grave human rights situation there.””She reiterated Pakistan’s strong condemnation of the recent burning of the Holy Quran in Europe, expressed our concerns about rising Islamophobia and stereotyping of Muslims, and called for confronting the underlying drivers and actors fanning deliberate hate and incitement to violence,” said the Foreign Office.
As the International Woman’s Day is celebrated worldwide, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will be in New York on March 8 in the context of the Conference on “Women in Islam: Understanding the rights and Identity of Women in the Islamic World”.
“This conference being held on 8th March, 2023 is an initiative of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. It is being convened by Pakistan in its capacity as the chair of the OIC Council of Ministers at the UN Headquarters on the sidelines of the 67th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW),” said the Spokeswoman.
The objective of the conference is to bridge the perception-reality gap on the rights of women in Islam and to counter gender stereotypes that are often associated with Muslim women. The conference will celebrate the experiences and successes of iconic Muslim women so as to inspire younger generations around the world.
“The conference will have High-Level and Policy Dialogue segments. The foreign minister will chair the High-Level segment. We expect ministerial level participation from OIC Member States and non-OIC states, in addition to the leadership of the United Nations, UN Women and other international organisations,” she added.
Later, on March 10 the foreign minister will attend an event on Islamophobia in New York. It may be recalled that last year, at the initiative of Pakistan, the United Nations General Assembly declared 15 March as the Day to Combat Islamophobia.
Meanwhile, Germany’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Tobias Lindner will visit Pakistan from 4-7 March, 2023. He will meet with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and review bilateral relations between Pakistan and Germany. Discussions will be held inter-alia on economic cooperation, climate change and regional matters of mutual interest. This will be his first visit to Pakistan.
“This visit is taking place within days of the visit of the foreign minister and minister of state to Germany for the Munich Security Dialogue. The visit will also build on the recent visits exchanged between the two sides last year at the level of foreign ministers. We will continue to pursue enhanced engagement and dialogue with Germany,” said the spokeswoman.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, participated in the High-Level Meeting of the Conference on Disarmament held in Geneva in a virtual event. She raised the importance of addressing the existing and emerging risks to global and regional security. She expressed Pakistan’s concerns about the troubling trends on display in South Asia, which are straining the security environment; heightening risks to regional peace and stability; reinforcing a sense of impunity; and freezing pathways to conflict resolution through peaceful means.Hina Rabbani Khar also participated virtually in the High-Level Segment of the 52nd Session of the Human Rights Council being held in Geneva.
In her statement, she reaffirmed Pakistan’s full commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights and outlined Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen its domestic human rights architecture by enacting progressive laws, and improving their implementation, upgrading institutional support, and reinforcing parliamentary and judicial oversight.