Pak
Sri Lanka friendship is strong and remains unchanged. It was Pakistan which helped
Sri Lanka to win their war against separatist Tami tigers. Pakistan also
supported Mahinda Rajapaksa Government in Geneva and voted against the
resolution to make an international inquiry in to the war crimes committed by
Sri Lankan army.
Pakistan has failed to protect its citizens especially
minorities from religious extremists. Pakistan ranks no 2 in top dangerous Countries
for journalists and women. Pakistan also tops the list of the countries where more people are killed in bomb
explosions.
Terrorists
& religious extremists operate with impunity in Pakistan. They target
moderate Muslims, minority sects like Ahamadies and Christians whenever and
however they want. There are scores of
Pakistani who flee Pakistan and take
refuge in nearby countries, Sri Lanka is one.
Recently
newly elected prime minister of India complained to President Mahinda Rajapaksa
that his country was being used by Muslim terrorists to lunch attacks in India.
In
Tamil Nadu a Sri Lankan alleged terrorist was arrested who was linked with
other terrorists arrested in Malaysia. During
their interrogation they confessed that they were planning an attack on US and
Israeli embassy in India. According to the information provided by them they
were hired and being handled by an ISI official named Amir Z Sidiqi in Pakistan
High commission in Sri Lanka.
Instead
of questioning Pakistan High commission in Sri Lankan Rajapaksa government chose
to attack helpless Pakistani asylum seekers to save their face.
Pakistan
does not want its persecuted ones to seek asylum. It wants to carry a good name
despite all the negative facts about it.
It
was Pakistan which requested friendly Sri Lankan Government to stop on arrival
visas for Pakistani nationals So that asylum seeking can come to an end.
Sri
Lanka however went one step ahead. It
was in June 2014 when Sri Lankan authorities started
their crack down on Pakistani asylum seekers. Those arrested are being detained
at the Boosa camp. According to the UNHCR, 189 male asylum seekers of Pakistani
and Afghan origin are among those detained. They comprise 127 single males and
62 heads of families. These asylum seekers belong to Ahmadiya and Shia
community who are being targeted by state sponsored Islamic extremists.
Pakistani government takes them for 3rd class citizens and casts a
blind eye to their sufferings.
Unaware
of international laws for asylum seekers, Pakistan foreign affairs spoke person
spoke with much ignorance about them saying. “They seek asylum by bad mouthing
Pakistan. If they are in trouble I don’t know”
However
Dawn newspaper of Pakistan clearly wrote “failed twice” The summary of the
article was a hard fact that Pakistan state has failed to protect its citizens
and by disowning the asylum seekers the failure of the state doubles.
Sri
Lankan controller General of immigration and Emigration Chulananda Perera says,
“They (asylum seekers) are dangerous and a financial Burdon on their country.” He
forgets that there are thousands of Sri Lankan refugees inside and outside Sri
Lanka who are being helped extensively by western countries and UNHCR. How they are dangerous is yet to be explained
by him. According to UNHCR they follow rules and regulations of the country and
do as they are told by UNHCR.
Once
again, On July 19 Sri Lanka violated international laws and the basic principle
of refugee protection --- NON REFOULMENT --- meaning A person should not be
handed over to the country where he fears persecution. 5 Afghan asylum seekers
were deported. Very smartly the Sri
Lankan authorities called this forced deportation voluntarily
repatriation.
During
this so called voluntary repatriation, these fateful asylum seekers were not
even allowed to call or meet someone from UNHCR.
Sri
Lanka has further made it clear that all the Pakistani and Afghani asylum
seekers men women and children will be deported back to their countries
Sadia’s little
sister and mother continue to live in hiding in Sri Lanka
It
is not the 1st time Sri Lanka has targeted asylum seekers on the
behest of Pakistan. In March 2013 Pakistani blogger Sadia Khan an asylum seeker
in Sri Lanka was kept in detention for 1 long month. Her mother and 11 years
old sister were also jailed.
Their
arrest took place when Pakistan ISI contacted friendly Sri Lankan Government to
capture her. Her crime was that she wrote about the atrocities of Pakistan
security forces.
Sri
Lankan authorities were quick to take action.
Their
passports were confiscated and the family was detained. They were about to be secretly
deported to Pakistan when the helpless female Khans came to know about the
conspiracy. Taking a chance they left
the detention camp to save their life.
Now
this family is recognized refugees from UNHCR. Unfortunately they still live in
hiding and fear Sri Lankan authorities. They have repeatedly requested Sri
Lankan authorities to return their passports so that they can live freely but
to no avail. Sadia Khan also requested
Pakistan High commission to intervene and help her. Pak embassy only tried to
trace her location the Defence Advisor of Pak embassy Shaheryar Pervaz Butt abused
her and called her a traitor.
Pak & Afghan asylum seekers & refugees
continue to live in fear and are treated as criminals in Sri Lanka. UNHCR with little
authority & high responsibility watches helplessly.
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