Sagar Biswas:The government on Sunday summoned acting Pakistani High Commissioner Samina Mehtab to lodge a formal protest against the Pakistan Foreign Ministry statement over war criminal Mir Quasem Ali’s execution.
Acting Secretary to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kamrul Ahsan summoned Samina Mehtab to the Foreign Office yesterday afternoon. Director General of South Asia Wing Monwar Hossain was present there at that time.
“Pakistan’s statement about death penalty of Mir Quasem is nothing but direct interference in our internal affairs. The trial [of Mir Quasem] was held in a transparent way. He got chance to file appeal. And he had availed the opportunity,” Kamrul Ahsan said on Sunday.
“The country’s apex court thinks that it is an appropriate punishment to him [Quasem] for his crimes against humanity committed during Liberation War in 1971. The trial of war crimes is an internal affair of Bangladesh. In no way, Pakistan can express its view over the issue,” he said.
Hours after hanging of Quasem, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry in a statement said that he [Quasem] was executed for the ‘alleged crimes committed before December 1971’ and it was an act of suppressing the opposition, through flawed judicial process, which is completely against the spirit of democracy.
A top ranking official of Foreign Ministry requesting anonymity said that Dhaka also handed over a “diplomatic note” to Pakistan envoy protesting the statement of Islamabad.
On Saturday night, Mir Quasem was hanged for his crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation War in 1971. The 63-year-old Jamaat leader [Quasem] is the sixth war criminal finally hanged for war crimes. And significantly, Pakistan issued provocative statements after each and every execution.
Dhaka earlier several times had cautioned Pakistan not to poke its nose into internal affairs of Bangladesh. But defying all diplomatic norms, Islamabad said it was deeply saddened by the execution of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Quasem for the crimes committed before December 1971.
Against this backdrop, a senior official of Foreign Ministry yesterday described Islamabad’s reaction ‘totally unacceptable’ and ‘brazen’.
Expressing its deep sadness over the execution of Mir Quasem, Pakistan on Saturday in its statement said the Bangladesh Government should uphold its commitment, as per the Tripartite Agreement of 1974, wherein it “decided not to proceed with the trials as an act of clemency.
“But refuting the claim, Bangladesh Foreign Ministry officials said it was clearly ‘distorted’ version of the agreement. The trial of war criminals is going on as people’s demand and Pakistan statement is totally against the national spirit, they said.
“The act of suppressing the Opposition, through flawed trials, is completely against the spirit of democracy,” Pakistan Foreign Office said. “Ever since the beginning of the trials, several international organizations, human rights groups, and international legal figures have raised objections to the court proceedings, especially regarding fairness and transparency, as well as harassment of lawyers and witnesses representing the accused.”
“Recriminations for political gains are counter productive. Pakistan believes that matters should be addressed with a forward looking approach in the noble spirit of reconciliation. Pakistan offers deepest condolences to the bereaved family members,” the Pakistan statement added.
