Prime Minister Imran Khan’s comparison of the West’s reaction to the Indian treatment of Kashmiris and to the Chinese treatment of Uighurs was probably not the wisest thing to do, for it merely showed how his government was behaving the same way. He said that the West was ignoring Indian oppression of Kashmiris because of economic interests, while criticizing China for its treatment of the Uighurs. It could be argued that while speaking about the plight of Kashmiris because of an animosity against India, he was whitewashing China for its treatment of Uighurs because Pakistan too had economic interests it wanted to follow with China.
It is true that the West has maintained a silence over Kashmir while vociferously condemning China for its treatment of the Uighurs of Xinjiang, but it cannot obscure the fact that the Chinese excesses in Xinjiang are well and copiously documented. Mr Khan in previous interviews has denied knowing about events in Xinjiang, but this is the first time he has actually tried denying that there is anything out of the ordinary in Xinjiang.
Mr Khan is a self-proclaimed champion of the Kashmir cause, and should realize that he is coding it no service by undermining his own credibility. If he insists on palpable untruths about Xinjiang, why should he expect to be believed about Kashmir? While Indian atrocities in Occupied Kashmir must be accepted by the whole world, including the West, Chinese excesses in Xinjiang must also be accepted by all, including Pakistan. Otherwise, the charge that Pakistan is turning a nelson’s eye to what China is doing in Xinjiang, will not only stick, but be used to further strengthen India’s case for illegal occupation. This attempt to curry favour with China will be exploited by India as it tries to justify its own illegal occupation of Kashmir. Mr Khan may find his statement not just backfiring, but blowing up in his face.
