Islamabad (Web Desk): Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) has rejected a statement from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) concerning the 26th constitutional amendment, characterizing it as based on misinformation and a misunderstanding of the current situation in the country.
During her weekly press briefing in Islamabad, FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch criticized the OHCHR for drawing unwarranted conclusions from media narratives and speculative political analyses, the Radio Pakistan reported.
She urged the OHCHR to concentrate on serious global human rights violations, where international norms are being overlooked or oppressive laws are enacted against oppressed populations.
In response to queries about the recent blacklisting of around two dozen companies by the US, the FO spokesperson labeled the actions as biased and politically motivated, noting that similar listings in the past had been based on mere suspicion.
She explained that these entities were involved in items not covered by the export control regime but were still classified as sensitive under broad definitions.
The FO spokesperson highlighted the hypocrisy of some nations that, while claiming adherence to non-proliferation principles, have selectively waived licensing requirements for advanced military technologies for favoured allies.
“Such double standards and discriminatory practices undermine the credibility of global nonproliferation regimes, increase military asymmetries and endanger international peace and security,” Mumtaz Baloch said.
The FO spokesperson also confirmed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has sent a letter to the US President, advocating for the favourable consideration of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s mercy petition on humanitarian grounds.
She noted that Pakistan remains engaged with US officials to ensure support for Siddiqui's well-being.
Responding to a question, the FO spokesperson said that Pakistan has never accepted the validity of Indian constitution in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), stating that the people of Jammu and Kashmir shall decide their own future on the basis of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.