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Pak-Bangladesh row over diplomat's remarks: Envoy recalled |
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Pakistan has recalled its controversial Deputy High Commissioner from Dhaka in the face of nationwide angry protests and demands for his expulsion on changes of "audacious and derogatory" remarks about the ruling Awami League and Bangladesh liberation war in 1971. The decision to recall Pakistan's Deputy High Commissioner, Mr Irfar-ur Raja, was conveyed to. the Bangladesh High Commission in Islamabad November 30. Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman
expressed its regret over the alleged r remarks by Mr. Raja and said, the diplomat was being withdrawn as "circumstances in Dhaka had made it impossible for the officer to carry out his duties and responsibilities as a member of the High Commission."
Irfar-ur Raja reportedly said at a seminar in Dhaka on November 27 that atrocities committed during the Bangladesh War were sparked by "miscreants" of the country's current ruling party and not by the Pakistani Army. He went on to question the demand that Pakistan apologize to Bangladesh for comes against humanity. Bangladesh saw the episode as "adding insult to injury" saying it hoped Pakistan would withdraw Raja.
Mr.Raza said the figure of three million innocent Bangladesh killed• at the hands of the Pakistani army in 1971 was "wrong", and quoted of figure of only 23,000 during, "the sorry events of 1971". He also referred to the recently published report of Hamudur Rahman Commission in this regard. On the apology sought from Pakistan for its role in the War of Liberation, Mr.Raza asked, "apology for what? Is it for losing half of Pakistan in 197 I ?
The "highly objectionable comments" on Bangladesh's liberation war provoked angry protests across the country. In a swift reaction, the Foreign Office summoned the Pakistani High Commissioner, Mr.Iqbal Ahmed Khan, to the Ministry to register a protest against Mr.Raza. The Foreign Office said the remarks showed "a total lack of the understanding of the history and ethos of the freedom movement of Bangladesh", while the Foreign Minister, Mr Abdus Samad Azad, termed the comments "provocative and uncalled fair". The Ministry asked the Pakistan Ambassador to take immediate action to "arrest the damage done to the bilateral relations".
Various political parties, socio-cultural organisations and freedom fighters groups took to the streets demanding Mr.Raza's immediate expulsion. Later, sources said the Government may demand that Islamabad recall Mr.RAza. Some of the Bangladesh participants at the seminar said Mr.RAza, in the year 2000, was representing the brutal military regime of Gen.Yahya Khan as well as the current regime of Gen .Pervez Musharraf, as his comments on such a historical event proved his completely undiplomatic character.
In fact in the last few months, relations between Islamabad and Dhaka have touched a new low and the demand for an apology in the run-up to the events leading to the 1971 war is one of major factor for the strain in the ties. Publication of the Hamoodur Rahman Commission report, that had gone into the circumstances leading to the debacle to the Pakistan Army in 1971 war, in a magazine in India in August this year only helped revive the bad memories and kicked off a furious debate within the Pakistani society on the need for the government to make public contents of the report that has been gathering dust for over 25 years.
Initially, Gen.Musharraf ruled out either its publication or punishment to those named the report on the plea that much water has flown down the Ganges since the tragic events: However, yielding to pressure from several quarters the military government announced its intention to publish all but one chapter of the commission report. More than six weeks have passed sin e the announcement and yet there is no sign of the report. A committee led by the Interior Minister, Maj.Gen (retd) Moinuddin Haider, is said to be pouring though the contents of the document that remains highly classified. A majority of the retired top brass of the Pakistan army believes that the terms of reference of the Commission were biased and the 1971 debacle had more to do with the failure of political system than the military.
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