War Crime trial an internal issue of Bangladesh: Pak editors

Pakistani newspaper editors said that the ongoing trial of the war crimes in Bangladesh was its internal matter and people, especially the intellectuals, of Pakistan believed reactions of politicians on the issue would hamper the friendly relations of the two countries.
Sharing views with a media delegation from Bangladesh in Karachi on Monday night, they observed that reaction on the internal issue of Bangladesh was a political rhetoric that did not represent the pulse of the people of Pakistan, who believed in people to people cooperation in the greater regional interest.
They said Pakistani intellectual community had regretted the ‘bad times of 1971’ when atrocities were committed in the then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh.
The observations came at a time when the Pakistan government expressed concern over the war crime trials and Bangladesh also criticised the reaction.
‘History is now established. Bangladesh is a reality. So they have every right to enjoy the independence,’ said Council of Pakistani Newspaper Editors secretary general Jabbar Khattak.
‘Trial of the war criminals in Bangladesh is its internal issue and the country has every right to try the war criminals,’ Jabbar said.
He, however, said that there was also scope of forgiveness.
‘Most of the common people of in the then West Pakistan did not endorse the military action against then East Pakistan’s demands for economic emancipation and political autonomy,’ said Jabbar adding that he himself was imprisoned for expressing solidarity with the then East Pakistan.
He also noted that there were both sweet and bitter experiences with Bangladesh and ‘we have to go forward based on the good experiences.’
The Bangladesh-Pakistan relations should be strengthened further under the platform of SAARC, Jabbar said.
Regretting that the regional forum was now in trouble, he hoped that the forthcoming SAARC summit in Pakistan would bring a breakthrough in improving the relations in this region.
He also stressed the need for more interaction in the intelligentsia-level for better understanding and improving the relations between the two countries.
Daily News Zne chief editor Mumtaz Ali, Ummat Group of Publications editor Naseer Hashmi, Tribune chief executive officer Aijaz-ul-Haq, Daily Induspost editor-in-chief A Rahman Mangrio, Daily Pak Karachi editor Ghulam Nabi Chandio, council leader Amir Mehmood and Press Information Department of Pakistan director general Syed Sikandar Ali, among others, were present.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net