Alvi urges global community to take steps to check Islamophobia

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi has urged the international community to take serious steps for combating Islamophobia and discouraging hate speech as they promote intolerance and hatred in the societies, says a press release.

He emphasised the need to effectively highlight the atrocities being committed by India against the Muslims of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K) at International fora to expose its real face to the world. He made these remarks while talking to Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Munir Akram, who called on him, at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Monday.

Talking to the ambassador, the president urged the need to showcase the contribution made by Pakistan against the war on terror at international fora. He said that Pakistan had suffered a lot at the hands of terrorists as it lost over 70,000 people and its economy suffered to the tune of $150 billion losses.

He stated that the world must acknowledge Pakistan’s contribution against the war on terror as it successfully defeated terrorism by offering enormous sacrifices and this success story of the country should be properly projected.

He highlighted that COVID-19 posed unprecedented challenges to developing countries with economic, financial and health implications and prime minister’s Global Initiative for Debt Relief was a timely call to relieve developing countries’ stretched resources during the pandemic.

The president underscored that climate change was a major challenge and Pakistan was taking effective measure to plant trees under the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Project to help mitigate the impact of climate change. He informed that the world had now recognised Pakistan’s stance that conflict in Afghanistan could only be settled through political means and Pakistan, in this regard, had played a significant role in facilitating the Afghan peace process.

The president asked the ambassador to highlight the disturbing developments in IIOJ&K and Pakistan’s success stories during his interactions with members of the diplomatic community. He also regretted that the world chose to remain silent about the illegal Uranium trade in India. The president appreciated the role of Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nation in highlighting the Kashmir issue and Indian brutalities against the Muslims of IIOJK.