Pakistan: Adjustments wanted on EU plan on rights in Afghanistan – Occasions of India

A Taliban fighter (L) makes a hand gesture asking the photojournalists to cease overlaying an illustration by ladies protestors in Kabul on September 30 (AFP)

GENEVA: Pakistan’s Overseas Ministry needs the European Union to reduce its plans to spice up scrutiny of human rights below the brand new Taliban management in Afghanistan, which is hoping to emerge from a long time of warfare and instability.
Islamabad says “additional enhancements” to a decision on the UN’s high human rights physique are wanted, together with concrete pledges of help for the war-wracked nation with out utilizing human rights as the only standards. Pakistan is arguably the Taliban’s closest state interlocutor, with historic ties and ostensible affect with the spiritual militia.
The European bloc is main an effort backed by greater than 40 nations on the Human Rights Council to move a decision subsequent week that will, amongst different issues, identify a particular rapporteur on Afghanistan to assist the nation uphold its worldwide commitments on human rights and supply assist to advocacy groups- a lot of whose work has been disrupted below the brand new management.
The Europeans need consensus for the decision on the council, which counts Pakistan amongst its 47 member nations. The rapporteur would profit from experience in authorized affairs, torture and degrading punishment, the appropriate to training, and the rights of ladies, ladies and minorities, in response to the decision.
Pakistan and the Group of Islamic Cooperation led a unanimous decision on the council throughout a particular session in August- earlier than the complete departure of worldwide forces- that expressed considerations in regards to the rights state of affairs in Afghanistan, and referred to as for the UN human rights chief to watch the state of affairs, with a written report deliberate subsequent March. Some advocacy teams stated it did not go far sufficient.
In feedback to The Related Press late Thursday, Pakistani Overseas Ministry spokesman Asim Iftikhar stated the EU draft decision “wants additional enhancements” and that delegations have been working intently on it. He stated Pakistan believes the EU initiative “doesn’t add any worth to the OIC decision adopted only a month in the past with settlement of all council members.”
He additionally stated the EU proposal “seeks to pursue (human rights) considerations in isolation from safety, security, battle, governance, and financial dimensions. The EU initiative is geared in the direction of civil and political rights solely, with no consideration of financial and social rights.
Iftikhar added: “We’ve additionally suggested them to incorporate some indication/ingredient of help” for Afghanistan, with out elaborating.
The reservations from Islamabad recommend that diplomatic wrangling lies forward in coming days. The proposal suits in with a wider worldwide effort to spice up scrutiny of the rights of ladies, ladies, ethnic minorities and others below the Taliban management after their ouster of the Afghan authorities in August and the departure of worldwide forces within the nation after some twenty years.